Love, Lies, and Games
by kalijahrulez
Summary: Katherine helped Alison fake her death to escape A two years ago, but now A is back and Katherine will stop at nothing to save her best friend's life. Blood will be spilled, love will be found, alliances will be built, friends will unite, hearts will be broken, lies will be told, and only a lucky few will survive. Kat/Jason & Kat/Elijah romance. Kat/Alison & Kat/Mona friendship.
1. A Message

**This is a short preview. If I get good reviews, I will continue.**

_I stand inside the Mikaelson Mansion with Elijah. He turns to face me and I approach him, stopping about a foot away from him. "I have lost so much of my life to Klaus. So have you. It's our turn. Elijah, please." I beg, placing both hands on his shoulders in a final attempt to make him stay. He looks down regretfully. "Katerina..." He whispers, stroking my hair. He kisses my forehead gently. I lean into him, finding peace in his embrace. But what he says next shatters my heart. "Goodbye." He says quickly, turning to leave. I stand there, motionless. A million thoughts run through my mind. How could he just walk away so easily after everything we've been through? After five-hundred years we finally have a chance, and he's leaving me? We invested so much into this relationship, faced countless obstacles, and I thought that finally it was all going to pay off. I thought I could be happy, that we could be happy. But evidently, I thought wrong. I finally find the strength to leave. As I walk outside and to my car, I know that it is time to move on. I have no idea where I will go, but I can not stay here. Suddenly, I get a text. My heart races as I pull my phone out of my pocket, desperately hoping that it's Elijah, but it isn't. Despite my disappointment, I can't help but smile when I see the name on the screen. Alison D. My best friend and favorite partner in crime. The one person in this world that knows everything about me and still loves me. We've been friends for almost four years and I would do anything for her. I press 'read message' and a small smirk graces my face as I read what she has to say. "Still like to play games? Well, I could use your help winning one that I've got myself stuck in. Meet me at our spot tonight, midnight. I hope I can still count on you. XO -Ali." I furrow my brows in confusion, wondering what she has gotten herself into now. The only thing I can think of is that someone found out she's still alive. I take a deep breath and shake my head. Alison and her games. She's always caught up in something, but I thought maybe now that she's supposed to be dead, she'd give it a rest. You know, rest in peace and all that crap. I type a quick text and hit send. "You know I'm always down for a good game. Life's never boring with you, is it? I'm on my way. See you soon. Lots of love. -Kat." I slide my phone back into my pocket and walk to my car. It looks like I just figured out my next move. So long, Mystic Falls!_

**So, this is just a short little chapter to explain how Katherine ends up in Rosewood and why she leaves Mystic Falls. That last scene with Katherine and Elijah in The Originals just broke my heart. But I have faith in Kalijah. Anyway, I need some help before I go farther into this story. Normally when I write, I just do what I want. But this time, I am going to let you readers help me out. During this story, Katherine is still going to be hurting from her break up with Elijah and she doesn't think she'll ever feel the way she felt for him again, but that's slowly going to change. I want you all to leave a review of this chapter and in it tell me who you think Katherine's new love interest should be. They have to be one of the following people: Aria, Hanna, Emily, Spencer, Toby, Caleb, Jason, Ezra, Lucas, or Mona. It can't be Alison because I have decided that they will just be best friends. Thanks for reading. (:**


	2. Double Agent, Mona?

"Ali? I can hear your heartbeat..." I say, looking around the park. It's dark and I can't see much. Suddenly I see a shadow move from the corner of my eye. I turn to face her just as she peaks her head out from behind a large tree. She looks around nervously. "You weren't followed?" She asks, and I can hear the fear in her voice. I shake my head, walking up to her. I place one hand on her left arm and I can feel that she is shaking. "Ali, tell me what's going on. I can help you, but I need you to tell me everything." I say, and a tear falls from her eye. "I screwed up really bad, Kat. I don't know if you can get me out of this one." She says, more tears falling. I wrap my arms around her and I just hold her like that for several moments. I'm not normally like this, not even with Elijah, but if there's one person I'm willing to show this side of me to, it's the blonde teenager sobbing in my arms. After a while, she begins to calm down. "We have to go somewhere else. Somewhere more private." She says, looking around again. I take her hand in mine and she looks at me, trying her best to smile at the gesture. "Where are you staying?" I ask, and she sighs. "There's an old abandoned house about a mile into the woods. No one ever goes there. It's been condemned since I was little. It's the best place I could find." She tells me, leading me in the direction of the house. We make it to the house and she kicks the door in. "Damn thing gets stuck." She mumbles, and I follow her inside. The place looks like hell. The roof is caved in on half the house, the walls have holes in them and there are shreds of wallpaper clinging to them. The floor feels like it may fall through any moment and in the corner of what I assume was once a living room is a single red couch, which is also covered in holes. Alison has placed a white sheet over the couch and she has one small pillow and a very thin blanket. "It isn't much, but it works. I eat and shower at Rosewood High after school lets out every day." She says, glancing around at her make-shift home. "You didn't tell me that you were so bad off, Ali. You know I would have helped you." I say, looking at her with sadness and pity. She shakes her head. "I didn't want you to feel sorry for me, or to worry about me. I know that you have enough on your plate with the whole Klaus thing. But my efforts to keep you out of this have failed. Katy, there's a lot you need to know. I'm in a lot of trouble, and so are you." She says, her eyes watering again. I flash over to her. I'm standing about two inches in front of her and she jumps back. I mentally curse myself for scaring her. I grab her arm gently. "Ali, please. Tell me everything. Leave nothing out." I say, and she nods.

We sit side by side on the couch and she starts tapping her fingers on her knees nervously. I watch her for a moment, letting her collect her thoughts. "Okay, do you remember why I faked my death?" She asks, and I nod. "It was the only way to get 'A' off your back. In order for him to believe you were dead, everyone had to believe it. Everyone but me." I state, and she lets out a long breath. "But he didn't stop, Kat. Not really. I mean, he stopped coming after me, but now he's after my friends..." She begins, glancing at me. "...and you." She finishes, looking at me with an apologetic expression. I take a deep breath, trying to control my emotions. "What have you done, Ali? How am I involved in this?" I ask, and she looks down at her shoes. "People know that you didn't die in 1864. Word has gotten around since Klaus found you. Now 'A' is looking for you, too. Kat, André wants you dead. He thought that he killed you in 1864, along with your family. Now he's pissed. And that's not all. He's been recruiting people. Witches, werewolves, vampires, even humans. He lures them into his web with promises of power. But I have someone on the inside. A human by the name of Mona. She knows I'm alive. She's been helping me." She says, and I close my eyes, letting her words sink in. So, André is at it again. I must say, he never ceases to surprise me. If there's one person who likes to play games more than Alison and I, it is André. I have to admit, the whole 'A' thing caught me by surprise. André was never one to want to stay hidden. He loved taking responsibility for his evil doings. But that was before he made the mistake of messing with Klaus. You see, André and I have known each other for four-hundred years. He is the most diabolical, selfish, evil, power-hungry vampire I have ever come across. His dream of being the most feared immortal in the world has driven him to complete insanity. We were actually friends once, he and I. Until he learned that I was being hunted by Klaus. In hopes of gaining the favor of an Original, André schemed to have me captured by him. He was completely lost by then. Every trace of humanity was gone. But he underestimated me. He thought he had me, but I played the game better. I learned his full plan and made sure that word got to Klaus. André knew the secret of the White Oak. He wants to be King of the Supernatural. He planned to hand me over to Klaus, gain Klaus's loyalty, then literally stab him in the back. So, now I'm not the only one running from the Original Hybrid. It looks like André is at it again, though. From what Ali has told me, I'm guessing that he wants to build a supernatural army to help him get close enough to Klaus to kill him.

"André isn't going to stop this time. His actions have made it clear. But what I don't understand is why he's targeting my friends now. They have nothing to do with this. I thought that by faking my death, it would end." Alison says, pacing around the dusty living room. "Maybe he knows, or suspects, that you're still alive. Ali, you are a very powerful witch. He wants you to join him and he made it clear in the past that he would stop at nothing until you are his. Maybe he knows the truth and he's trying to draw you out by threatening your loved ones. I mean, it makes sense. You are the only witch that I have ever come across, or even heard of, who has mastered Expression. You would be his greatest weapon. He's desperate to take out Klaus and you're the key. So, if he thought there was even a chance that you're still alive, he'd do anything to get to you." I say, and she stops in her tracks. "You're right. That would explain what role my friends play in this, but I'm not as gifted as you give me credit for. I mean, I couldn't even kill André and his minions. I had to fake my own death to get away from him. How am I supposed to be some great weapon to take out Klaus?" She asks, and I sigh. Alison has always been very confident in her looks, her sex appeal, her attitude, everything. Everything but her magic. It is the only thing she thinks she isn't good at. "No, Ali. You don't give yourself _enough_ credit. You are one bad ass witch and it's time you realize it." I say, and she shakes her head, still unsure of herself. I take her hands in mine and force her to look me in the eyes. "Ali, everything is going to be okay. I'll make sure of it. Now, I need you to get in touch with this Mona person. I need her to meet with me. As for you, you are getting out of this dump." I tell her, collecting her few belongings and pulling her out the door. She has several different wigs and I hand her a brown one to wear. "Just keep your head down and you shouldn't be recognized." I say, as we make our way to a motel. I walk her up to my room and once inside she takes off her wig. "You'll stay with me. I'll compel the staff not to acknowledge you. It will be as if you aren't even visible to anyone but me. I will get you anything that you need. I mean it. Anything. Just name it and you've got it. But absolutely, under no circumstances, will you leave this room until I find a way to stop André. As for your friends, after I talk to Mona and make sure she's on board, I will enroll at your old high school. I'm going to get close to your friends, protect them. So, I'm gonna need their names." I say quickly, giving her no time to object. I stop to look at her and she smiles at me, running up to capture me in a tight hug. "Thank you, Kat. I knew I could depend on you." She says, gratefully.

The next morning I wake before Alison. I get dressed quickly. I am wearing black skinny jeans, black pumps, a black tank, and my favorite black leather jacket. My hair falls freely around my shoulders in tight curls. I put on some make up and decide to leave Alison a note. I take out a paper and pen from a small drawer in the nightstand. _'Ali, I thought I'd explore town a little today. I will tell room service to bring a variety of breakfast foods to the room for you. Remember what I said, no leaving the room. I'll be back by nightfall and we can talk more. I still have questions. I left an extra phone in the nightstand drawer. I am speed-dial # 1. Love you lots. -Kat.' _I place the note next to the bed and take one last look at Alison. She's sleeping so peacefully. I know it must have been a while since she got a decent night's sleep. That's why I didn't ask her anymore questions last night. I could tell she was tired and needed rest. Hopefully I can find this Mona girl and get some information out of her. I head out of the motel and cross a street. Alison gave me a description of Mona last night, but I don't think I'd be able to spot her. I decide to just ask a local. There's a boy with shoulder-length hair walking past me and I stop him. "Um, excuse me, sir. I'm new to town and I'm looking for a friend of mine, but I'm not sure where she's staying." I say, innocently. He smiles. "No problem, I've only been here a little over a year, but it's a small town. Who's your friend?" He asks, and I smile at him. "Her name is Mona. Mona Vanderwaal." I say, and I see the boy's expression darken a little, but he tries to hide it. "Uh, Mona... Yeah, she uh... She likes to hang out at the café around the corner. I don't know if she's there now, but you could try going there." He says, and I can't help but notice the nervousness in his voice. "Thank you..." I begin and he smiles awkwardly. "Caleb. My name is Caleb." He says, and I smile. "Well, thank you Caleb." I say, walking away. I notice a pretty blonde girl walking my way and she smiles brightly. "Caleb!" She yells, before walking faster. I glance behind me and I see Caleb capture her in a kiss. They pull apart and I keep walking. It only takes me about a minute to reach the café. It's small but nice. I see a olive-skinned girl working behind the counter. I glance around the café real quick and I don't see anyone who resembles Mona, so I decide to ask the worker girl about her. "Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for a friend of mine. I was told she comes here a lot." I say, and the girl smiles. I read her name tag and notice her name is Emily. "It's no problem. What's your friends name?" She asks, and I've begun putting pieces together in my head. Alison said one of her friends is named Emily Fields and she works part-time at a café. Unless there's more than one Emily working here, this would be her. "Mona Vanderwaal." I say, and the glass the girl is holding slips from her hands.

Emily curses under her breath a little and bends down to pick up the broken pieces of the glass. "Um, Mona. Yeah. She comes here everyday, usually around this time." She says, and her reaction to hearing Mona's name proves that this is the Emily that Alison told me about. I'm about to say something when I hear my name being called behind me. "Katherine Pierce?" I turn around and see a very pretty brunette smiling sweetly at me. Emily stands up and eyes the girl. "Mona." She says, dryly. Mona smiles brightly. "Well, hello Emily. How are you today?" Mona asks, and Emily smiles a very fake smile at her. "Good. Your friend was just looking for you." Emily says, waving her hand in my direction. I walk over to Mona and loop my arm with hers. "Mona! It's been so long. We have so much to catch up on." I say with fake excitement, trying to sell my act to Emily. Mona plays along. "I know. It's been forever. You-know-who called to let me know you were looking for me this morning. Let's go to a table." Mona suggests, and I let her lead me to the back. We sit down at a back table and I see Emily watching us with a worried expression. I smile sweetly at her and then focus my attention on Mona. "So, how'd you know it was me? I could have been anyone." I say, feeling a little impressed. "It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone. So, when Ali told me you were looking for me, it wasn't hard to spot you." She says, and at the mention of Alison's name, I grow serious. "Speaking of Ali, she believes you're on her side." I say, challenging her. "I am on her side." Mona says simply, but I'm not easily convinced. "Prove it. Tell me exactly where I can find André." I say, and she laughs. "Well, you won't find him anywhere near Rosewood. He doesn't do anything himself. He has people to do his dirty work for him." She tells me in a hushed tone. I lean in closer so that we can talk a little lower. "You mean people like you?" I ask, and she sighs. "You have trust issues." She states, and I smile. "Yes, and for good reason. And do you know what I do to people I don't trust? Those people end up very dead." I say, my threat clearly implied. She looks around the café, and I notice that Emily isn't taking her eyes off of us. "You can trust me. Ali can trust me. I want André dead just as much as you. But it's not that easy. If he found out that I'm not really with him, he will end me. Or, you know, have someone else end me." She says, and for some reason I believe her. "Fine. Are you the only one on our side?" I ask, and she shakes her head. "There's one other. His name is Toby. He joined the A-Team a few months ago. He's only doing it to protect his girlfriend, Spencer. But he doesn't know everything. He thinks that it's just me and one other person. He knows nothing of the supernatural world." She says, and I feel more confused than I was last night. "How do you join a supernatural army and not know about the supernatural?" I ask, and she shrugs her shoulders. "He thinks he works for me and that I work for Red Coat. He doesn't know there's any higher power." She says, and I lean back in the booth. "And who is red coat?" I ask, but she shakes her head. "That's the thing. I have no idea. I know that she works for André and that everyone takes orders from her. We do as she says. But she never shows her face." She explains, and I put my head in my hands. Things just keep getting more and more complicated.

I stand to leave and Mona stops me. "Wait. How can I reach you?" She asks, and I extend my hand. She places her phone in my hand and I program my number into it. She walks out of the café first and I decide to stop at the counter. Emily smiles at me, but I see the suspicion in her eyes. "Sorry again, but you don't happen to go to Rosewood High, do you?" I ask, and she nods. "Yeah, actually I do. Why?" She asks, eyeing me. "Oh, I was gonna ask Mona but it completely skipped my mind. I'll be enrolling tomorrow and I was wondering about the teachers." I say, mentally yelling at myself for not being able to come up with something better to say. "The teachers are great. Yeah, we have a really good teaching staff. You'll love it there." She says, and I smile. "I'm sure I will. And I am so glad that Mona will be there. I move around a lot and I usually have to completely start over everywhere I go, but thankfully I have Mona this time, so it shouldn't be as scary." I say, trying my best to seem happy about going to high school. But honestly, I'm dreading it. I'd rather be doing anything else. "So, you and Mona. I've never heard her mention you. How do you know each other?" She asks, trying to be casual. I mentally applaud her. I know what she's trying to do. She wants to know if I could be part of the A-Team, or some other threat to her and her friends. "Oh, we've been friends for years. We only see each other now and then because my family moves a lot, but I'm emancipated now, so that won't be an issue anymore." I tell her, and she nods. I hear the door ding and I see the blonde girl from outside come in with Caleb on her arm. They smile and wave at Emily. They sit down about two feet from me, and I decide to leave. There's still a lot I want to see before tonight. "Well, thanks for your time. Oh, and I'll see you around school tomorrow." I say, and she gives me a big smile, waving goodbye. I begin to walk away from the café but I stop when I hear Emily say my name. I walk a little ways away so that they won't see me anymore and I listen to them talk. _"Her name is Katherine and she's really good friends with Mona. Apparently they go way back and she starts school at Rosewood High tomorrow. Guys, Mona is the only person she knows in this town. Call me paranoid, but I'm worried. What if she's with the A-Team?" _I hear Emily ask. Next I hear the blonde girl's voice. _"Or maybe she really is just an old friend. I mean, Mona had a life before the A-Team. A sucky one, but one nonetheless." _She says, and next Caleb speaks up. _"If there's one thing we've learned from dealing with Mona, is that she's full of surprises. She's dangerous and sneaky, but Hanna's right. It's possible that this Katherine girl has nothing to do with any of this." _I'm distracted by a buzzing in my pocket. I pull out my phone and see that Mona is calling. Already? We just spoke ten minutes ago. I answer anyway.

**So, there's chapter 2. I want to say thank you to my first reviewer, 1Directioner2199. Because you were the first to review, I am taking your suggestions into consideration. I do plan on bringing in an Original or two, and I might even throw in some Klaroline just for you. Anyway, I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow. Maybe even two chapters, depending on my schedule. Please review. (:**


	3. New Friends & An Old Flame

So, first I would like to make an announcement. I have decided to go with the Kat/Jason pairing. And don't worry, I assure you Elijah will play a part in this story, just not right now. First I have to get the Kat/Jason romance brewing. This chapter will be about Katherine's first day at Rosewood High. Enjoy. (:

"You look hot. The boys will be drooling." Alison says with a smirk, looking at my outfit. I am wearing a deep red mini-skirt, a black blouse, black ankle boots, and my hair is fixed in a fancy, side ponytail. I smile at her, spinning a little and curtsying. "That's the goal." I say, winking at her. I walk over to the bed and pick up my purse and phone. I check the time and see that I only have thirty minutes until my first class. "Well, I should go. Mona said she'll meet me in the front of the school to show me around before class starts." I say, smiling at Alison. She walks up to me and hands me a card. "Don't forget this." She reminds me, and I look down at my class schedule. I made sure the lady at the school's front desk gave me all the same classes as Mona. If I'm gonna have to go to high school, I want to know someone, and I'd rather not have to meet many new people. The only other kids I'm worried about are Alison's friends. I have to find a way to get close to them. Hopefully Mona will have some classes with them. "Well, have fun. I'll just be here... All alone... All day... Bored out of my mind... Waiting for you to get home..." Alison says dramatically, sighing and twisting a strand of her hair. I laugh at her childish behavior. Sometimes she seems so grown up, I forget she's really just a kid. I grab my leather jacket from the closet door hanger and walk out of the room, waving goodbye to Alison as I do. Once outside, I climb onto my black Harley. I start the engine and speed off. I approach the school and reduce my speed. I see Mona standing near the front, and she appears to be arguing with four girls. I recognize two of them as Hanna and Emily. I park near them and they all look at me. Emily nudges a tall girl in the side and mumbles something under her breath. I take off my helmet and hang it on one of the handles of my motorcycle. I get off the bike and strut over to Mona. I smile brightly at her and she smiles back just as big. I hug her quickly and face the other girls. "These your friends?" I ask, and Hanna scoffs. "No, we are not her friends." She says, lifting her chin a little in defiance. I raise an eyebrow at her and take a step toward her. I might have promised Alison I wouldn't let anyone hurt them, but no one talks to me like that, especially not a human. Mona grabs my arm quickly. "Um, excuse her, Katherine. She didn't mean to be rude. Her problem is with me." Mona explains quickly, shooting Hanna a look of warning. Hanna backs up a little, obviously worried. "Hi, Katherine." Emily says, trying to break the tension. I smile sweetly at her. "Hey, Emily. Love your shirt." I say, looking at her blue blouse. She smiles and motions to her friends. "This is Spencer, Aria, and you now know Hanna." She says, and I nod in their direction. "I'm Katherine. Mona's friend. Obviously, I'm new here." I introduce myself and the girls smile politely. "So, where did you move from?" Aria asks, and I turn my attention to her. "Everywhere. I travel a lot. But I most recently lived in Pennsylvania. Before that it was Paris, Milan, New York, etcetera." I say, and the tall girl, Spencer, finally speaks. "That's amazing. I have always wanted to visit Paris." She says, and I laugh at her excitement. "Oh, you have to. It's wonderful. Especially this time of year. I'm actually headed back there once I leave Rosewood. You should give me a call if you want to visit. I could totally hook you up with a place to stay, and well, anything really." I say, and she gives me a big smile. Mona loops her arm in mine and smiles. "Oh, yeah. Kat's loaded. Like, mega rich." Mona says, and Hanna rolls her eyes. "So, then why are you in Rosewood?" Hanna asks, and I smirk at her. "The downside of traveling a lot, never setting up roots anywhere, is that I don't make many friends. I'm emancipated and I don't talk to my parents, so when I get lonely, I visit friends. I decided that it's been way too long since I last saw Mona. So, here I am." I tell her, pulling Mona closer to me and smiling at her. Hanna seems suspicious. "Mona and I used to best friends. Why didn't I know about you?" She asks, and Mona rolls her eyes. "You and I weren't always friends Hanna. You didn't start hanging with me until Ali disappeared. I had a life before you. This is the first time I've seen Katherine in three years. We e-mail each other once a week. I never mentioned her because it never came up." Mona explains, and Hanna seems to believe her. Mona grabs my hand and pulls me toward the school. We're almost to the front entrance when someone yells for me.

"Katherine! Hey, Katherine!" I freeze in my place and my heart skips a beat. It can't be. How did I forget about him? I turn around see Jason walking up to me with a smile on his face. I smile at him and my mind is trying to keep up with my eyes. It's been two years since I last saw Jason. "Jason, hey." I say, walking to meet him half way. He pulls me into a tight hug and I breathe in his scent. Suddenly I am hit by so many different emotions. The two biggest being love and regret. We pull apart and he shakes his head in disbelief. "I have missed you so much. What are you doing in Rosewood?" He asks, and I'm at a loss for words. It's easy to lie to people I don't know, but Jason... He means more to me. I have never lied to him about anything. But, he can't know that Alison is alive. "I'm visiting Mona. Um, she's a friend." I tell him, and he nods. "I just... I can't believe you're here. I thought I was never going to see you again. You know, since Alison..." He can't finish his sentence and seeing the sadness in his eyes makes me feel worse. "I'm sorry about everything. I wish there was something I could do. I... I started to go to the funeral, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It was too hard." I say, hating myself more with each word. I look over to Mona, who is waiting patiently for me. "Look, Jason. I have to go. Mona's showing me around the school. But I want to see you again. Can you meet me here after school?" I ask, and he nods. "Of course. I'll see you later, Kat." He says, backing up a little and then turning to leave. I notice for the first time that Emily, Aria, Spencer, and Hanna are standing just ten feet away and they just heard our conversation. I offer them a small smile and walk back to Mona. She looks confused and I just loop my arm with hers again and walk into the school. She shows me to my locker, which is right next to hers. I take off my jacket and place it inside. Mona watches me with confusion in her eyes. "What?" I ask, trying to appear nonchalant. She smirks at me and I look at my nails. "You and Jason?" She asks, and I roll my eyes. "We're friends." I say simply, but I can see she suspects more. She decides to leave it alone for now and proceeds to give me a quick tour. I try to pay attention to what she's saying, but all I can think about is Jason. I met him at the same time that I met Alison. They were on a family vacation in Florida at the same time that I was staying there. Alison and I were instant friends. At first, Jason and I weren't close. He was just Alison's older brother, but it didn't take long for him to become more. We started hanging out when I was with Alison, but soon we were hanging out even when Alison wasn't around. Which wasn't really that often. Alison and I were practically inseparable. I picked up on the fact that she was a witch instantly, but I didn't tell her that I knew until about a month into our friendship. I also noticed that Jason didn't have any magical abilities. When I asked Alison about it, she decided to look into it. We discovered that Jason was only Alison's half brother. Alison's father is a warlock and her mother is human. Her mother had an affair and got pregnant by another human. Alison confronted her mother about it and her mother swore her to secrecy. But I never made any promises. I didn't like the fact that Jason didn't know the truth, so I told him. He was pissed for a while, but I helped him through it. As the summer went by, we became very close. By the end of the summer, we were on the verge of becoming more than friends. One night he had an argument with his mother and he snuck out. He called me to meet him on the beach. We were talking for hours, and somehow, I ended up in his arms. We kissed that night. It was a long, heated kiss, but that's as far as we went. I knew that he was leaving in a week and it would be dangerous for me to see him after the summer was over. I had too many enemies and I didn't want him to get hurt. That summer changed my life forever. That was the first time I had truly been happy in five-hundred years. Since Elijah. I mentally curse myself for thinking about Elijah. I told myself that I would move on, and that's what I'm gonna do. I push all thoughts of Elijah out of my mind and focus on Mona. She's just finished showing me the cafeteria and the bell rings, signaling the beginning of first period.

By the time lunch comes around, I have decided that I hate high school. Mona has to go to some meeting for a club she's in so I sit alone at a table. I'm lost in thoughts of Jason and I hardly notice Emily approach me. "Um, you eating alone?" She asks, and I smile at her. "Mona had somewhere she needed to be, and I don't have any other friends, so..." I say, and she sits down. I smile at her gratefully. We begin eating and she breaks the silence. "So, how are you liking it here?" She asks, and I shrug my shoulders. "Honestly, it's dreadful." I say, and she laughs. I look up and see Aria and Hanna walking our way. They sit on either side of Emily and Hanna speaks first. "Look, I wanted to apologize about earlier. I shouldn't let my personal problems with Mona affect the way I act toward her friends." Hanna says, and I'm genuinely surprised. I smile at her and shake my head slightly. "Don't even worry about it. I totally get it. Really, it's not a problem." I tell her, and she smiles back at me. "So, you said Mona was the only person you know here, but it looked like you were pretty familiar with Jason," Hanna says, and Emily nudges her side. "Please, excuse Hanna. She's not very subtle." Emily says, and I laugh. "I actually like that in a person. I'm the same way. Yeah, Jason and I have a complicated past. I just didn't expect that he'd stick around here after what happened to Ali. I thought he'd want to move on." I tell them, and they share a look of curiosity. "You knew Ali?" Aria asks, and I laugh. "Knew her? She was my best friend. We met four years ago in Florida. That's also when I met Jason. Ali and I clicked instantly. We were together like 24/7 that summer, and every other summer. She would always let me know where she and her family were traveling to and I'd meet up with them. She was like a sister to me." I say, smiling fondly at the memories. "Were you with her the summer before she went missing?" Hanna asks, and I can tell that she's up to something. "Part of the summer... I had business to tend to in Milan. I... dabble in the fashion industry." I say, and it's not a total lie. I do have a few friends in the fashion industry that I help out every now and then, but that's not what I was doing that summer. That summer I was heading to Mystic Falls to have some 'fun'. My phone starts buzzing and I pull it out of my pocket. I see the name 'Alison D.' flash across the screen and I quickly hit reject, but the look on Aria's face says she might have just seen it. I stand quickly. "Um, that was... a friend of mine. I should really call her back. It was nice talking to all of you." I say, rushing out of the cafeteria. I call Alison back and she answers on the first ring. "What the hell, Ali? I was at lunch with your friends!" I exclaim, and I hear her sigh. "Can you come home early?" She asks, and now it's my turn to sigh. "No. I'm sorry. I have to stay here and try to find a way into their lives. Oh, and... I kind of ran into your brother and I'm going out with him after school." I say, and I hear her gasp. "What?! Jason! OMG. Wait, does that mean you won't be back until tonight?!" She asks/yells. I laugh at her for a moment before answering. "I don't know when I'll be home, Ali. But I can see if Mona will come over and keep you company." I say, and I hear her take a deep breath. "Fine. But hold up, last time we spoke, before last night, you were all into that Elijah guy." She says, and I feel my eyes tear up a little. "Yeah, that, um... That didn't work out. There was just too much in our way, and... he left me..." I say, really not wanting to get into it. And as usual, Alison seems to read my mind. She tells me that she'll see me tonight and we can talk about it if I want. I hang up and sit down on the stone steps. I hear the door open behind me and Mona sits next to me. "Hey, I was looking for you in the cafeteria and Aria said you had a phone call. Was it Ali? What's up?" She asks, and I avoid looking at her. I don't want her to see the tears in my eyes. "Yeah, it was Ali. Everything's fine. But do you think you could hang out with her today? I can give you my motel room number. She's bored and lonely and I'm meeting Jason after school." I tell her, and she nods. "Sure. Hey, are you okay?" She asks, and I look at her. "I will be. I just need to get through this day and see Jason. He'll make everything better." I say, and she surprises me by grabbing my hand. "Look, I know we've only known each other for a day, but I'm here if you want to talk." She whispers, and I smile. "Thanks, Mona."

The rest of the day goes by okay. I don't know what it is about Mona, but I trust her. I was skeptical in the beginning, not really trusting anyone who helps André, but I can tell that Mona is different. I think we're going to be very good friends. We walk down the hall together after the school dismissal bell rings. We walk arm in arm, laughing about some guy that tried to hit on Mona in the gym. Suddenly someone bumps into her, hard. She stumbles into me and I hear the guy say 'Move, psycho freak' as he walks away. I stop and turn to him. "Hey, dick!" I yell, and he turns around. He looks around and smirks. "You talking to me?" He asks, and I smile sarcastically at him. I strut over to him and I hear Mona tell me that it's okay, but I can't stand guys like him. I stop about a foot in front of him. "Yes, I was talking to you. I believe you owe her an apology." I say, and he laughs loudly. People have gathered around us and I see that among them are Emily, Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Caleb. "Apologize? To the psycho freak who never should have been let out of Radley? I don't think so." He says, moving to stand a mere two inches away from me. "But maybe I could, if you got something to give me." He says, and I want to gag. Instead I just smile at him. I back up a little and turn back to Mona. She looks at me with surprise. I know she isn't used to people standing up for her. She told me all about how people have made fun of her since she came back from Radley. I turn back to the guy and smile flirtatiously. "You know what, I do have something to give you." I say innocently, and he smiles. Before anyone even has a chance to register what is going on, I punch him square in the jaw. He falls back about ten feet and hits some lockers. He's hunched over in pain and I walk up to him. I lean down and force him to look at me. "And if you ever say anything out of line to her again, I will do much worse. Now, apologize." I say, and he looks at Mona. "I'm really sorry, Mona." He mumbles through the pain. Mona smiles and walks over to me. I stand up and loop arms with her again. "Now is there anyone else who would like to say something to Mona?" I ask, and everyone shakes their heads. They all look scared and Mona looks happier than ever. Mona and I walk out together with our heads held high and it feels good knowing that Mona's school days might be a little easier for her now. I walk her to her car and we say our goodbyes. I walk to my bike and decide to wait there for Jason. About five minutes later, I see him approaching. "You know, it's a small town and news travels fast. I've heard about five different people talking about the new girl punching some guy across the hall." He says, smiling at me. I smile back and hug him. "Yeah, well he deserved it." I tell him, pulling back. He laughs and walks over to my bike. "Nice ride. Mind if I take it for a spin?" He asks, and I throw him the keys. He climbs on and I climb on behind him. He offers me the helmet and I laugh. "I'm a vampire, remember? You need that a lot more than me." I say and he laughs. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his shoulder. I smile at how great he makes me feel. It's strange. He's just a human and I'm a five-hundred year old vampire, but he always has this way of making me feel safe. We pull out of the parking lot and I see Alison's friends watching us. I know they probably have a hundred different questions they're just dying to ask me. But for the rest of the day, my focus will be on Jason and Jason alone. We ride for about an hour and he pulls over at a small diner about thirty minutes from Rosewood. "Where the hell are we?" I ask, as he helps me off the bike. He lets his hands linger on my hips and I decide that I like it. "Just a little place I like to go to get away from Rosewood and all of it's drama." He says, taking my hand.

**So, that's chapter 3. I hope you guys like it. Jason and Katherine have a lot to discuss in the next chapter (Elijah, their relationship status, Alison, etc.) Katherine will also have to make some hard decisions. Get ready for lots of drama! Anyway, please review. (:**


	4. Game On

We walk into the diner and he directs me to a booth in the back. We each take a seat on opposite sides of the booth and wait in silence for the waitress to come take our orders. When she does, I notice her staring at Jason just a second too long and have to stop myself from giggling. The woman looks to be at least fifty, not that I'm one to talk. But while she is staring at Jason, he is staring at me. She walks away and he finally speaks.

"You know, I've thought about that last summer a lot. I've gone over it again and again in my mind, trying to figure out what I could have, _should have_, done differently." He says, looking me in the eye.

"Jason, don't. Please, there's no use in bringing up the past. There was nothing you could have done. Sometimes things are just beyond our control." I tell him, hoping he'll drop it.

"Maybe, but that doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the way that I feel." He insists, leaning closer to me.

"I don't know what to tell you, Jason. Things are different now." I say, trying not to say too much in fear of hurting him.

"Different how? I'm not different, from what I see you're not different, so what's different?" He asks, and I know that there's no getting around it.

"_My_ feelings. I mean, not for you. A part of my heart will always love you, Jason, but... There's someone else." I confess, and I see a mix of hurt and understanding in his eyes.

"Someone else? Well, I guess I should have seen that coming. Look at you, who could resist?" He asks, not surprised but obviously upset.

"Actually, he can. We sort of broke up. Well, he broke up with me." I admit, looking down as I remember that last day.

"Why on Earth would anyone break up with you?" He asks, looking genuinely shocked.

"Because I'm not the innocent little peasant girl that I used to be and he can't accept that. I thought that I could change, be that girl again for him, but too much has happened in the last five-hundred years. I don't think that I could ever be that girl again." I say, thinking back to all of the heart breaks, all of the deaths, all of the pain, agony, and misery I have felt.

"It sounds like the two of you have a lot of history." He says, looking at me with that knowing look of his.

"We do. It's Elijah Mikaelson." I say, holding my breath and waiting for the rant I know will come.

"What?! Oh my God, are you _insane_? Katherine, you have spent the majority of your life running from him. He and his dick of a brother are the reason your life turned out so bad. What are you thinking?!" He asks/yells, and I know he's partly right, but he's also partly wrong.

"I knew you'd say that. Jason, he isn't who I thought he was. He isn't like his brother. Elijah is kind, noble, honest, and he makes me happy." I explain, hoping he'll understand, but of course he doesn't.

"I can not believe I am hearing this. Just because he is being nice to you now doesn't mean you should just forget how he betrayed you all those years ago. He pretended to be your friend while he and his brother planned to sacrifice you." He argues, and I shake my head at him.

"You think I've forgotten? I will never forget, but I have forgiven. I love him. I am_ in love_ with him, Jason." I tell him, but I know he isn't going to let this go.

"You defend him, but he dumped you. That doesn't sound like a changed man to me." He points out, watching me expectantly.

"It's my fault. I killed someone and lied to him about it. I was trying to get something that I thought would help me get my freedom from Klaus and give Elijah and I a fighting chance to have a real relationship and Jeremy was collateral damage. I killed him to get what I needed." I confess, feeling the tears gathering in my eyes.

"But Elijah couldn't handle that? It sounds to me like you need someone who understands you better." He says, reaching across the table to take my hand.

"Like you? Jason, you've known me four years. That may be a long time for you, but for me it isn't even a small fraction of my life. You don't know me as well as you think you do." I say, but this time he is shaking his head at me.

"Really? Well, then let me show you how well I know you. Your name is Katerina Petrova, but since you've become a vampire you don't feel like her anymore, so you changed your name, even though a small part of her still exists inside of you. You let people think that your this stone-cold bitch, but in reality you're just scared. You lie, you deceive, you kill, and you manipulate to survive and to get what you want, but deep, deep inside, you feel just the slightest bit of remorse. You miss the old you, though you'd never admit it. Your favorite food is Chinese. You're 527 years old, but you were seventeen when you became a vampire. You never let people see you cry, because you think it is a sign of weakness and you don't want people to know that you have a weakness, but you do. Your weakness... Is your heart. People think that you don't have one, but it's in there. It's just covered with scars. You have built up walls around it so strong that God himself could not get to it unless you wanted Him to, but every now and then you do want people to see it. Not many people, just a couple. Like Ali and I. Not just anyone is allowed to know the real you, but those very few of us that are, they're the luckiest people in the world. Oh, and you do this cute thing with your left eyebrow when you're impressed, like you're doing right now. How'd I do?" He finishes and I am taken aback.

"I can't believe you know all that." I breathe out, my heart fluttering just a little.

"I know you better than the back of my hand, Katherine. I'm in love with you. Always have been, always will be." He proclaims, and I know I need to get out of here before I do something stupid.

"I have to go, Jason. I'm supposed to meet Mona. I can give you a ride home." I say quickly, standing up and tossing a fifty dollar bill on the table.

I walk out of the café and Jason follows me out. Neither of us say anything, though we both have a lot on our minds. During the ride to Jason's house I replay our conversation in my mind repeatedly. Part of me can't help but feel like he's right, but a bigger part of me can't shake my feelings for Elijah. No matter what has happened in these last few weeks, my feelings have not changed. Elijah is the love of my life and I will never give up on us. Jason will always be second best to me, and he deserves better. He deserves someone who will love and cherish him totally and completely, not someone who is always going to love another man. So, why is the feeling of his arms wrapped firmly around my waist making it hard for me to focus on the road? Why did my heart flutter like that at his words? No one has ever said anything like that to me. I don't think anyone else could tell me all of that about myself if they tried. The more I think about it, the more confused I am. We pull up at his house and he climbs off of my bike. Before he walks away, he leans in to kiss me gently on the cheek. "I would never leave you." He whispers, and my heart races. I watch silently as he walks inside. I speed off in the direction of the motel. I arrive there quickly and rush inside. Once I am in my room I fall face first on my bed and groan, ignoring Alison and Mona who are sitting near the window talking about André. They pause for a moment and I hear them coming toward me. I feel a finger poking the back of my head and I turn to see Alison watching me curiously.

"So, how did things go with my brother?" She asks, and I roll my eyes.

"He was his usual charming self and I had to leave before I ended up throwing myself on him." I say, and she laughs.

"Sounds like quite a date." Mona chimes in, and I sit up.

"It was _not_ a date. It was just two old friends catching up." I tell her, but I can tell that neither of them believe me.

"Just two old friends who used to have the hots for each other and obviously still do." Alison says, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Whatever. Let's talk about something _important_. Mona, have you heard anything from Red Coat today?" I ask, and she nods.

"She texted me and said 'Who was the brunette bitch?' and I assumed she was talking about you, so I replied 'An old friend. She has nothing to do with this.' and she didn't text back." Mona says, and the evenness of her heart beat assures me that she's telling the truth.

"Well, we need a plan. We can't just keep winging it. We need to find out who Red Coat is and we need to find out soon." Alison says, pacing around the room.

"Mona, do you think you could arrange a meeting or something? I could follow you there, staying at a safe distance until she arrives. Then I can just pin her down and unmask her." I say, and Mona considers my question a moment.

"Well, yeah. I guess I could, but we don' know anything about her. I mean, we don't know if she's human, a witch, a vampire, a werewolf or what." She reminds me, but it doesn't concern me.

"It doesn't matter what she is or how strong she is. I will take her down." I assure her, and Alison raises an eyebrow at me.

"Kat, you're a pretty badass vampire, but how can you be so sure?" Alison asks, and I look at her for a moment before answering.

"Because I have something that will make me stronger. _Motivation_. I have lost so much, Ali. Everyone I have ever loved is either dead or has turned against me. Everyone but you. Alison, you are all I have left in this world and I will not let anything happen to you. André thinks he's winning, but he's wrong. I will not let him get to you. I will not let anyone threaten you. I will die before I lose you. That's a promise." I tell her, and I see tears swelling in her eyes.

"I'll set up the meeting." Mona says, smiling at me.

I meant what I said to Alison. I have lost more than anyone will ever know. I have been broken and bruised to the point of wanting to die. My whole life has been a constant rollercoaster of pain, misery, fear, torment, love, and loss. I will not let Alison's life turn out the same way. No matter what I have to do, or who I have to kill, I will make sure Alison gets everything she has ever wanted. She is going to get everything that I never got and she is going to be beyond happy. If I have to kill every single person in this town to get rid of this A-Team, I will. If I have to, I will rip this town apart until it rains blood. Make no mistake, Katherine Pierce has not gone completely soft. I may have a soft spot for Alison, but I know how to play dirty and if necessary, I will. If I think that Alison's life is in danger again, no one will be safe from me. The quickest way to anger me is to threaten someone I love. And anyone who really knows me, knows that an _angry_ Katherine is a _deadly_ Katherine. Let the games begin.

**Okay, so I have an announcement to make. I have decided to dis-continue a couple of my stories because I am not going to be able to update very often anymore and I hate making people wait so long. I will finish this one, and will do my best to update at least once a week, but some of my others I am now offering to whoever wants to finish them. If no one takes them, they simply will not be finished. I will list the stories I am offering at the end of this note. Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't a disappointment. Thank you all for reading and please review. (:**

**Stories up for grabs:**

_**Anck-Su-Namun: My Happy Ending: **_**"She doesn't agree with any of this, but it is what will make her beloved happy. After everything he has done for her, she owes him this. She looks at the boy, Alex. She wants to help him, but she can't. She agreed to do things Imhotep's way. She keeps telling herself that love is enough, that it's worth it." After killing Pharaoh Seti and sacrificing herself in the name of love, Anck-Su-Namun's soul is sent to the Underworld. Thousands of years later, she is brought back by her true love, Imhotep. But he is not the same man that she once loved so deeply. Anck-Su-Namun is torn between doing the right thing and her love for Imhotep, and when she chooses to do the right thing, she meets a certain Medjai warrior who makes it his mission to capture her heart. Growing up, Ardeth Bay heard many stories about the concubine Anck-Su-Namun and he always admired her. The way she was willing to do anything for love, the way she stood out from the other concubines by actually having a heart, and how she killed herself after killing the evil Pharaoh Seti for her beloved Imhotep. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would ever meet her, especially since she has been dead for thousands of years, but he has. Now, can Anck-Su-Namun ever love Ardeth the way that she loved Imhotep? Pairings: Anck-Su-Namun/Imhotep & Anck-Su-Namun/Ardeth Bay romances. Anck-Su-Namun/Alex friendship (fanfic for the Mummy trilogy). Currently 6 chapters long.**

_**Behind Enemy Lines:** _**Katherine and Jane have been best friends for a very long time and their loyalty to each other is unbreakable. Katherine has never liked Jane being a part of the Volturi and wishes she would just leave them, but respects Jane's decisions. Now the ****Volturi and The Cullens are preparing for battle. Jasper and Katherine are on opposite sides, but that doesn't stop the growing attraction between them. Jasper knows that Katherine is his mate, but Katherine doesn't realize it. Will their undying loyalty to the people they love prove to be too big of an obstacle for them? Katherine doesn't want Jasper to die, but she would never go against Jane. It also doesn't help that the Cullens are responsible for the death of one of Katherine's closest friends, Victoria. Alice saw Katherine coming in a vision, but what she didn't see was all that Katherine and Jasper would have to face in order to be together. Katherine/Jasper romance, Katherine/Jane friendship, mentions of a past Caius/Katherine romance and an old Carlisle/Katherine friendship. Based on the song Behind Enemy Lines by Demi Lovato (crossover fanfic for Vampire Diaries and Twilight). Currently 3 chapters long.**

**PM me for more info. (:**


	5. What To Do

"Sunrises have always been my favorite part of the day." Mona whispers, looking out the window.

"It's beautiful." I say, taking in the colors before looking over to Alison who is sleeping soundly.

"I've never seen her look so peaceful." Mona says, and I just smile.

"I just hope she can find real peace one day." I whisper, thinking about André.

"I hope we all can." Mona says, leaning her head back.

I will never get tired of seeing Alison look so calm. These last few years have been crazy for her. I know that she has never been the nicest person, but she doesn't deserve all of the hell she has been through. I look over at Mona for a moment, remembering how badly Alison used to speak about her. Mona certainly isn't the 'dorky little twit' that Alison once described her as. I wonder how bad Mona must have felt back then. Always bullied. How did she learn to see past all of the bad, to the good in Alison? Is there a chance that maybe one day Elijah can do the same with me?

"How did you get past it?" I ask her, and she raises an eyebrow at me.

"Get past what?" She asks, genuinely confused.

"Everything that Alison put you through. I mean, didn't she kind of make your life a living hell?" I ask, and she looks down sadly.

"We didn't really know each other then." She tells me, playing with her bracelet.

"I guess I'm just wondering... How hard was it for you to see past it all? To forgive her?" I ask, my eyes meeting hers.

"Something tells me that this isn't just about Alison and I." She says, knowingly.

"You're right. The problem is, I am a much worse person than Ali. I'm selfish and mean. I manipulate and deceive my way through life. I use people, I kill people, and sometimes I even enjoy it. Sometimes I scare even myself." I confess, and she surprises me by taking my hand.

"There's a reason Alison loves you, Katherine. There's a reason Jason loves you. There's a reason I already consider you to be my friend. It's because you're much more than that. You only see the bad in yourself, like most people, but there's more to you." She tells me, and though I wish she were right, I find myself doubting.

"I wish you were right, Mona. I want to believe that I can be better. I want to be better, but... It's hard. I just wish Elijah could see me the way you and Ali do." I whisper, and she smiles slightly.

"Elijah? Is that the man you were crying over at school?" She asks, and I nod.

"We had a bit of a fall out. And it's all my fault. I can't be the girl he wants me to be." I say, looking back out the window.

"He shouldn't ask you to be more. If he even thought for a moment that he didn't want you exactly as you are now, then he should have just stayed away. Changing for a man is never the right way to go." She says, watching as Alison rolls over.

"But what if he's worth it? I mean, the girl he wants me to be isn't exactly a brand new person. It's the old me, the human me." I tell her, looking down at my hands.

"Exactly. The human you. In case you haven't noticed, you're not human now. You haven't been in a long time. And I don't know all that much about your life, but I do know that no one is born bad. Life makes them the people they turn out to be. Maybe that girl is still in you, or maybe she's not. Maybe life has completely destroyed her, or maybe she can still get up and fight. Maybe Elijah's worth it, or maybe it's time for you to let go of that girl for good. Only you can decide. But if you ask me, the fact that you're here selflessly helping Ali means that you're not as bad as you think." She tells me, and before I can say anything else, Alison wakes up.

"What time is it?" Alison groans, looking at the clock.

"Time for me to head home. My mom's gonna be pretty mad that I didn't call. Bye girls." Mona says, waving to us as she leaves.

"Ali, I think I'm gonna go for a walk." I tell her, standing to leave.

"Well, it's too early for me. Wake me in a couple more hours." Alison mumbles, rolling over.

I watch Alison sleep for a few minutes, thinking about what Mona said. She has a point. Elijah knew who I was and if he wasn't okay with it, then he shouldn't have led me on. But then again, I also knew who he expected me to be. It's the whole reason I wanted Jeremy Gilbert's death to be kept secret from him. I didn't want to prove to him that the girl he chased through the gardens 500 years ago really is gone. I wanted her to still exist.

I have to stop thinking about my own problems and stay focused on why I'm here. The blonde sleeping beauty in front of me. I know what I have to do, but I'm not sure that I want to do it. André is too powerful for me to take on alone. I need more help. The problem is, the only people who could help me, probably won't. I decide that I have to try anyway. Alison's life could be on the line. I pull out a piece of paper and a pen and begin writing.

_Elijah,_

_I know that you probably don't want to talk to me, but this is important. Your family is at risk. A year ago, that wouldn't have even phased me. Back then the only Original I cared about was you, even though I thought you'd never care for me. Honestly, you still are the only one I care about. But I was telling you the truth in Pennsylvania. I know that if anything happened to Klaus, and you knew I could have stopped it, I'd lose you for good. That is not a risk I am willing to take. I almost can't even believe I am writing you this. I am questioning myself with every word. But I love you. I love you so much more than you'll ever know. Please, tell Klaus that New Orleans is now the least of his problems. André is plotting against him once again, and this time... I think he might actually win. He has an army. A very strong and powerful army. It consists of vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans. I have people in his trusted circle helping me, but if I am going to beat him, if Klaus is going to beat him, you both need to get to Rosewood, Virginia as soon as possible. There is much more that you need to know, but I will not write it all in this letter. Please, Elijah. If not for me, come for your family._

_All my love,_

_Katerina._

I finish the letter and place it inside an envelope. I compel a man named Sam to send it to Elijah's address in New Orleans. I can only pray that he will come. Even though a small part of me isn't sure I want him to. Seeing Jason again has stirred up feelings in me that I thought were long gone. I shake my head, trying to push the thought away. I can not fall for Jason. I am in love with Elijah. He is the only one I want. I'm not Elena Gilbert. I may date numerous guys, but when I fall in love, I fall forever. I have loved many people, but there is only one man who has ever possessed my whole heart, and that man is Elijah.

I grab my jacket and walk out of the motel. After two hours of aimless walking, I decide to go by the café and see if Emily is working. Half way there my phone starts to buzz in my pocket. I pull it out and see that Jason is calling. I know that we need to talk, but right now all I care about is finding out more about Alison's friends, so I reject his call. I am almost to the café when something, or someone catches my eye. Across the street from me is a woman with blonde hair and a red coat. I can't see her face because she turns around too quickly. I run over to the other side of the road, but by the time I get there she is gone. I look around and I can't see her anywhere.

I decide to worry about it later. I go to the café and Emily is on her break. She is talking to Spencer. I walk over to the front counter and order a mocha. Once I get it, I sit down at a table not far from the girls. I see them looking at me from the corner of their eyes and they stand to approach me.

"Katherine, hey." Emily says, taking a seat next to me.

"Hey, Emily. Hey, Spencer." I greet them with a smile.

"No Mona?" Spencer asks, and I shake my head.

"No. We were up all night at the motel and she went home about an hour ago. Said something about her mom worrying about her." I tell them, and they nod.

"So, you're just gonna stay at the motel the whole time you're here? Why not stay with Mona?" Spencer asks, and I smirk.

"You're full of questions." I say, and she smiles slightly.

"Sorry. I'm just curious. We don't get a lot of new faces around Rosewood." Spencer mumbles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's fine. Mona doesn't have a spare bedroom and I'm a fan of having my own space." I tell her, and she seems to accept my answer.

"Um, I know it's probably personal, but can we ask you something about you and Ali?" Emily asks, and I'm intrigued.

"Sure. What do you wanna know?" I ask, and she smiles at me.

"The last time you saw her... Did she seem like something was bothering her? Did she mention anything or anyone that maybe had her scared?" Spencer asks, and I think about what I'm going to say for a moment.

"Well... Not really. I mean, she was acting a little unusual, but it was Ali. I figured she was just having boy problems or something. She was always into the guys she should stay away from. Ali was a sucker for a bad romance." I say, not completely lying but not really telling the truth.

"Do you know who she was talking to that summer? She told me that he was an older guy, but she wouldn't say who." Spencer tells me in a hushed tone.

"No, I have no clue. Ali was very secretive. Secrets were her life." I say, hoping we can just leave the conversation at that.

"Oh, well thanks anyway." Emily says, and I nod.

"You're welcome. Look, I've gotta go, but if you guys ever wanna hang out or something, here's my number." I say, writing my number down on a napkin.

I hand my number to Spencer and leave, waving goodbye to her and Emily. I begin walking back to the motel and I can't stop thinking about what Emily and Spencer were asking me about. Do they know about Wilden? I really hope they don't look too much into him, that man is dangerous. I would have killed him if it weren't for CeCe Drake. God I hate that bitch. She's the only witch I know who could even come close to matching Alison's powers, and I know she was only hanging around Ali because she wanted to know about Expression. I push all the negative thoughts out of my head as I reach the motel. Later that day, I sit on the bed with Alison watching Friends With Benefits.

"I am so ready to come back to life." She says, sighing dramatically.

"All in due time, Ali." I assure her, standing up to check myself out at the mirror.

"Where are you going?" Alison asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I am going to spy on your friends. I need to know what they know about A." I tell her, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

"Do you really think they know something that we don't?" She asks, adjusting the pillow behind her head.

"I think they are very clever. Especially Spencer. Surely they know something we could use." I say, grabbing my phone off the nightstand.

"Great. So I'll just be here alone again. Have fun." She whispers, and I know that what I am about to say might be a huge mistake, but seeing the look on her face, I can't stop myself.

"Come with me." I say, and she immediately jumps up.

"Really?!" She exclaims, jumping into my arms.

"As long as you can promise you'll do your best to blend in." I tel her, and she nods excitedly.

"Oh my God, you will not regret this! And besides, if someone spots me, you can just compel them to forget about me." She says quickly, grabbing her shoes and red coat.

"Um, do you think you should keep wearing that red coat? I mean, your friends are trying to figure out who red coat is and if they spot you they will most likely try to follow you." I remind her, and she trades it for one of my leather jackets.

"How's this?" She asks, spinning around before curtsying.

I smile at her and give her the thumbs up. She puts on a black wig and big, dark shaded glasses. As soon as we leave the motel I look around for any familiar faces. When I'm sure no one we know is wandering around, we head toward Hanna's house, where Mona has informed me the girls are all staying the night. It's starting to get dark, which is perfect since Alison is with me. Mona texts me and lets me know that she will be waiting for me across the street. It doesn't take us long to get there, and by the time we do it is already dark. Mona approaches us from behind a tree and signals for us to follow her.

"Do you really think bringing Ali is a smart move? What if someone spots her?" Mona asks, worriedly.

"If someone spots her, she has me. I'm a vampire, remember? I can compel them to forget." I say, as we approach a big tree straight across from Hanna's bedroom window.

"And how are we supposed to spy from here?" Alison asks, looking at Mona like she's a bag of rocks.

"Katherine's a vampire, remember?" Mona asks, jokingly mocking me.

"Come on." I say, smirking as I extend my hands to them.

They each take one hand, looking at me nervously. Before they have time to register what's happening, I pull them both close to my sides. In a flash I jump into the tree. They each let out a surprised shreak and I just smirk at them. Luckily, the tree is big enough so that the three of us can easily hide behind the trunk, and the branches are stong enough to stand on. I peak my head out at Hanna's house and notice that the curtain in her bedroom is halfway pulled back.

"Okay, I can see them. They're all in Hanna's room." I whisper, sitting down on a branch above Alison and Mona.

"So, not to sound like a baby or anything... But we're pretty high up and I think I'd feel a lot safer with you next to us." Mona says, looking at me nervously.

"Aww. You're scared of heights?" Alison asks, pinching Mona's cheeks.

"No. I'm afraid of falling face first into that concrete sidewalk below us!" Mona yells/whispers.

"They're talking about A." I tell them, and they get silent.

I listen carefully to the conversation going on in the bedroom ahead of us. Alison and Mona watch me expectantly. I watch Hanna pace back and forth and listen as they discuss 'Mona's new gal pal'. They're dying to know more about me and Alison. They want to know what I am hiding and how I really know Mona. They are no longer buying that I'm just some old friend. They really are smart for their age. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Alison chooses her friends carefully.

"They want to know who I am. They have a lot of questions." I say, and Mona rolls her eyes.

"They always have a lot of questions." Mona complains, earning a glare from Alison.

"Maybe it's time they get their answers." I suggest, and both girls look at me with wide eyes.

"What? I am trying to keep them out of this as much as possible." Alison tells me, and I shake my head at her.

"Ali, they are in this. André is after them now, too. Have you ever considered that maybe keeping them in the dark as much as you can is just making things harder for them?" I ask, and she lets out a soft sigh.

"I think Katherine's right. I mean, isn't there supposed to be strength in numbers?" Mona asks, and I nod to her, but Alison still seems unsure.

"Mona, did you manage to get that meeting set up?" I ask, trying to change the subject for now.

"Yeah. Red Coat wants me to meet her Friday. She says we need to talk, but I feel like something's up." Mona says, and I take one last look in Hanna's window before jumping down.

"What are you doing?" Mona asks, starting to freak out.

"Come on, Mona. Face your fears. I'll catch you. Just jump." I promise, and after a minute of consideration, she takes a deep breath.

I smile as she closes her eyes and lets herself fall. I catch her easily, and she lets out a sigh of relief as I do. I set her down and look up. Alison smiles, obviously not as scared as Mona. Alison turns around and jumps off backwards with her arms stretched out and a huge smile on her face. She knows that I would never let her get hurt. She laughs as I set her down and we make our way into the woods. As we approach the motel, my phone begins to ring. I take it out of my pocket and see that it's Jason calling. I quickly reject it, not wanting to talk to him right now, but he leaves a voicemail that I decide I'll check later.

Once we're inside Alison crashes on to the bed. She kicks off her shoes and snuggles up to the blanket. Mona and I sit at the window and watch her with small smiles on our faces. I don't know what the future holds, or even if I'll have a future when this is all over. But there is one thing I know for a fact, Alison will have a future. I know the chances of me walking away from all of this are slim to none, but Alison will survive. I'll make sure of it.

**So, I hope this chapter wasn't a complete disappointment. The next chapter will be much more eventful, I promise. I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I guess it's better than nothing. Next chapter will introduce a brand new character, plus Katherine will spend some more time with Jason, and the Pretty Little Liars are going to get quite a shock from Katherine, who is also in for a bit of a surprise. Please review. (:**


	6. A Dangerous Truth

The next day Alison and I wake up bright and early. Mona knocks on the door at 6:00 a.m. and I let her in. We have a lot to discuss.

"Okay, so Red Coat will be at the East end of the woods tonight. She'll be waiting for me." Mona informs us, and I nod.

"Good. I'll follow behind you, keeping a safe distance. You'll hear her out, and I'll listen. When the time comes, I'll come out of my hiding spot and unmask her." I say, checking my phone.

I realize I still haven't checked Jason's voice mail. I'm about to when Alison speaks up.

"I don't know about this. Katherine, we don't know who we're dealing with. You could get seriously hurt. So could Mona." Alison says, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Ali, everything is going to be okay. Just trust us." I tell her, grabbing her shoulder gently.

"So, have you decided whether or not to tell Spencer and them about Alison being not-so-dead?" Mona asks, and I look over to Alison.

"Fine, but if we do that, they'll have even more questions. We'll have to tell them everything." Alison says, and I know she's right.

"So we will. But not just them..." I start, not sure how Alison will react to what I'm about to say.

"What are you talking about?" Mona asks, watching me curiously.

"Jason has a right to know." I tell them, and Alison jumps up.

"What?! No. I want to leave him out of this." Alison says, and I shake my head at her.

"Ali, he's heartbroken. He misses you and I hate lying to him. He deserves to know what's going on. It's not like he's completely clueless about the supernatural world. He can handle this." I try again, but she's not hearing it.

"No. Absolutely not. Jason is the last person that I want involved. He's my brother and I have to protect him the only way I know how. By leaving him out of it. Promise me you won't tell him." She begs me, and I decide to respect her wishes.

"Okay, I won't tell him. But if you think that André isn't going to add him to his hit list at some point, you're wrong. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't sent someone after him yet. Just think about that, Ali." I tell her, taking a seat on the bed.

"Katherine's right. When has keeping our loved ones in the dark ever helped? The whole reason I joined the A-Team was to protect Hanna and in the end, I hurt her worse than A ever did. When she found out that I had been lying to her, her heart broke. Now I don't think we'll ever be friends again." Mona says, trying to back me up.

"What if he hates me? What if he can't forgive me for all of the grief I put him through?" Alison asks, her eyes watering.

"Alison, he loves you. He'll just be happy you're alive. And once he knows why you did it, he'll understand and love you all the more." Mona says, and Alison nods.

"Okay. We'll tell them all." Alison whispers, and I hug her again.

Two hours later I am sitting at school with Mona. It's first period and I'm already bored. How do people suffer through this everyday? Time seems to go by slower and slower as the day progresses, until finally it's lunch time. I walk through the cafeteria and spot Aria sitting alone. I approach her with a smile. She smiles back as I take a seat. I decide to cut to the chase.

"So, you wouldn't happen to have plans this afternoon would you?" I ask, hopefully.

"Um, I'm not sure. Why?" She asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Okay, I have to be somewhere right now. So, I'm just gonna come out and say it. I have information about _A_ and I want to talk to you and your friends. So tell Spencer, Emily, and Hanna that I would like to meet with you all after school. 4:00 at my motel. Room number 37. Make sure you're not followed." I tell her, leaving her shocked.

I leave school quickly. Next stop will be Jason's house. It dawns on me that I have still yet to listen to his voicemail, so I do. _"Hey, Kat. It's me. Look, I know that things got sort of intense at the diner and I'm sorry for that. Can you please just call me? We need to talk." _I let out a sigh as the voicemail ends. Yes, we certainly need to talk. I reach his house rather quickly and he's in the front yard working on something. I smile as I approach him and he immediately stops what he's doing.

"Hey, I got your voicemail..." I say, stopping about two feet from him.

"It's about time. Look, I know things are different now, but..." He starts, but I cut him off.

"Jason, wait. I've been thinking a lot about us. You're right. What we had, it was real. It was beautiful and I could be happy with you. But there are things standing in the way. Not just Elijah. There are things that you don't know, things that I thought you shouldn't know, but now I'm ready to tell you." I say, and he takes a step closer, almost closing the gap between our faces.

"You can tell me anything." He whispers, cupping my cheek with his hand.

"You say that now, but what I have to tell you... It might not be easy to hear." I warn him, my eyes meeting his.

"Whatever it is, I can handle it. Trust me." He says, dropping his hand to his side.

"Before I tell you, I want you to know that we love you. That's why we left you out of it." I tell him, and he looks confused.

"_We_? Who's _we_?" He asks, and I take a deep breath.

"Come with me." I say, taking his hand.

Thirty minutes later we stand in front of my door. Suddenly I'm not so sure about this. What if Mona and I were wrong? What if this isn't the best thing to do?

"Jason, what's waiting for you behind this door is going to shock you and it might even confuse you, but please remember what I said. I love you. I really, truly do. Maybe not as much as you would like, but I do. I never wanted to hurt you and I never wanted to keep secrets from you." I say, unlocking the door.

"What's going on, Katherine?" He asks, and I open the door.

"Finally! I have been _so_ bored!" Alison yells dramatically, before freezing at the sight of Jason.

"Alison isn't dead." I whisper, and Jason looks like he might faint.

Two hours later, we have finished answering Jason's questions. He went through a roller coaster of emotions over the last two hours. First he was confused, the he cried, then he yelled at us, then he cried some more, and all the while he held Alison in his arms. But he understands now, and he is no longer angry. He's just happy to have his little sister alive in his arms.

"Now we just have to tell your friends. They'll be here at 4:00." I say, taking a seat next to Alison.

"Okay, well let's not spring it on them like we did Jason." Alison says, and I give Jason a sorrowful look.

"Yeah, way to almost give me a heart attack." Jason complains, smiling at me.

"Sorry. I figured you'd believe me easier if you saw her." I tell him, smiling back.

My phone buzzes and I see a message from Mona. She wants to know where I am. I fill her in on the last couple hours and she agrees to come here right after school, which ends in an hour. A weight has been lifted off of my chest now that Jason knows the truth. I just hope he didn't misunderstand me earlier. I know that he'll think it's okay for us to be together now, but Elijah is still the one I want. I'm in love with him and I can't just shut that off because Jason wants me to.

"Oh my God. You have to tell our parents, Ali." Jason says, standing up.

"No!" Alison and I both yell in unison.

"They can't know, Jason. It's too dangerous. I'm taking a big enough risk by telling you. The less people that know, the better." Alison explains, hoping desperately that he'll understand.

"You, Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily are the only ones that can know." I tell him, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Fine. But when this is all over, they're finding out." Jason says firmly.

"Okay. Trust me, I've been thinking about how I'm going to tell them since the moment I faked my death." Alison assures him, and he hugs her.

"I'm just so glad you're okay. I know we never got along very well, but thinking you were dead all this time has been hell for me. You're my baby sister and I love you, Ali." He whispers, holding her tight.

"I love you, too. More than you'll ever know." She whispers back, and I smile at their embrace.

Alison is a lot like me. She acts like she doesn't care about people. She lies, keeps secrets, manipulates people to get her way, and she's never cared who she has to step on to get to where she wants to be. But there are a few people in this world who she truly, genuinely loves. Her parents, Jason, Aria, Spencer, Emily, Hanna, Mona, and me. Those are the people she loves. While it may be a short list, it's something. It proves that she isn't heartless. She would die for any of us. Time seems to go by fast as we wait for 4:00 to get here and Alison is growing nervous.

"Are you sure they'll come?" Alison asks, and Mona looks out the window.

"I don't think they'd miss a chance to get answers about _A_." Mona assures her, and it only makes her more nervous.

"Ali, everything is going to be okay." I tell her, and I've lost count of how many times I have said those words to her now.

"They're here. Ali, hide." Mona says urgently.

Alison goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. Jason and I sit side by side on the bed. After a couple minutes we hear a knock at the door and Mona answers it. She opens the door and the girls don't seem surprised to see her. She motions for them to come in and they follow her. They do seem surprised to see Jason there, though. They all take their seats and watch us expectantly.

"So, who wants to start?" Mona asks, looking between Jason and I.

"I will, but first... Katherine has something to show you. Before she does, you all have to promise not to freak out." Jason says, looking at the girls across the room.

"We promise." Spencer says, and they all nod.

"Okay, Katherine isn't like us. She's different. I don't mean just a different kind of person. She's a different kind of species..." Jason starts, and I stand up.

"My birth name is Katerina Petrova. I come from a small village in Bulgaria. When I was sixteen, I was banished from my homeland and sent to England, where I met and fell in love with a man named Elijah Mikaelson." I say, and Jason shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

"What does this have to do with _A_? And what do you mean a different species?" Hanna asks, impatiently.

"I'm getting there. As I was saying, I fell for Elijah instantly, never once questioning it. However, my feelings for him had to be kept secret. I could never tell him, because I was betrothed to his brother Niklaus Mikaelson, who was everything that I didn't want. Elijah and I became very good friends during the time I stayed at their manor. I trusted him. I believed that he cared for me, but I would soon find out that he was merely pretending to be my friend while he and Klaus planned to kill me. On the night that I was supposed to die, a man named Trevor saved me. He told me everything, and I was heartbroken. I ran like hell to a cottage that Trevor told me to find. Klaus sent Elijah and some other men out to find me and bring me back, but I managed to get to the cottage. Unfortunately, the woman who Trevor sent me to was a cowardly bitch. She threw me into a room and told me that come nightfall she was taking me back to Klaus. I tried to fight, but she was stronger than me. When she left, I felt there was only one thing I could do. If I had to die, it would not be at the hands of that monster. So, I stabbed myself in the stomach with a knife that I had hidden under my dress. I tried to kill myself. When the woman, whose name was Rose, came back she saw my wound. I begged her to just let me die. She told me that if I died, then so would Trevor. She bit into her wrist and forced her blood down my throat. I watched in shock as my wound started to heal. When she left again I started to cry, feeling helpless. Until I saw a rope near the bed. I knew I had to act quick. I grabbed the rope and climbed onto a chair. I hung myself. Some time later, I was surprised once again when I woke up on a couch. Rose was angry and tried to kill me, and I dodged her. She ended up hurting the maid, and when I smelt the blood... I lost control. I bit into the maid's neck and in doing so... Completed the transition. Rose said some crap about how I had just signed their death sentence, and feeling angry at her selfishness, I told her that it was better that she die than I." I say, and they all stare at me with wide eyes.

"Transition?" Aria asks, nervously.

Jason stands next to me and holds out his wrist. He pulls a knife out of his pocket and cuts himself. Everyone watches closely as I lean down and begin drinking his blood. I hear the girls gasp and I feel my fangs elongating. The veins under my eyes darken and my eyes become the color of blood. I pull back and face the girls. They all gather close together in shock.

"Oh my God. Your eyes. Your teeth..." Spencer mumbles, and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"She isn't going to hurt you. Trust me." Jason says, as I bite into my own wrist to heal him.

They all watch as his wound begins to close up. They don't know what to say to me now. I know that they're scared, but they will need to get over that if they are going to hear the rest of the story. I relax and as I do, my appearance goes back to normal. They seem a little less nervous now.

"The story I just told you happened 500 years ago. When I was eighteen years old, I became a vampire and I have been running for my life ever since. I have made a few friends throughout my existence, but one in particular is a man named André. A man that you all know as _A_." I tell them, and Spencer gathers her courage, taking a step closer to me.

"Who is he?" Spencer asks, still nervous.

"He is a very old and powerful vampire. We grow stronger with time, and trust me... He's been around a while. Much longer than even me." I tell her, causing her to panic a little.

"I know this is a lot for you all to take in, but there's still more to the story. You haven't even heard half of it." Mona says, and Spencer takes a seat with the other girls, ready to hear the rest.

"André and I became friends quickly. At first, he was nice. I thought that he'd be by my side forever. But then I told him the story I just told you. He already knew who Klaus and Elijah were, as do most vampires. They are the most feared of the vampires, because they are the oldest. They are the Original vampires, and from them all vampires were created. When André learned they were after me, he came up with a scheme. He was going to hand me over to Klaus to gain his favor. You see, Klaus is the worst. He is the strongest, because he's literally unkillable. The Originals can only be killed by one thing. A silver dagger dipped in the ash of an ancient white oak stake that the Originals burned down so they could never be killed. The dagger is only a temporary death. As long as the dagger remains in their heart, they stay dead but if it is removed, they come back to life. However, Klaus is not full vampire. He is half werewolf, so his body would not be effected by the dagger. Only the wood from the ancient white oak tree could kill them permanently, even Klaus, hence the reason they burned it down. Unfortunately for them, their father had made two stakes out of the tree before it was burned. He had one, and the other was stolen from him. Stolen by none other than André. André wanted to hand me over, gain Klaus's trust and the trust of Klaus's allies, then kill Klaus. He wants to be king of the supernatural world. But when I learned his plan, I made sure word got back to Klaus, who added André to his hit list. Now André has a new plan. He knows he will never get close to Klaus now, unless he has the help of a witch. Yes, they exist too. He couldn't use just any witch, though. 99% of witches are not strong enough to take on an Original. There have only been a handful of witches in existence with enough power, and those are witches that have mastered the craft of Expression. The only witch I have ever come across that has done that, is Alison." I finish, leaving them even more shocked.

"Okay, this is all too crazy." Hanna says, grabbing her head.

"Yeah, this is insane. Alison was a... witch?" Emily asks in disbelief.

"What does that all have to do with us? Why is he messing with us?" Spencer asks, always the one to get right to the point.

"Jason..." I say, urging him to continue the story.

"Well, as you all know, I met Katherine four years ago while my family and I were on vacation. At first, I wasn't all that close to her. She was just Alison's hot new friend. But soon, we became friends too. I found myself opening up to her so easily and, well... I fell for her pretty quickly." Jason says, and I look down, not meeting his eyes.

"That's not what they're interested in, Jason." I tell him, and he continues.

"Anyway, it didn't take Katherine long to figure out Ali was a witch and that I _wasn't_. She was confused by this, so she and Ali decided to look into it. Soon they figured out the truth about my mom and Spencer's dad. Alison wasn't going to tell me, and our mom swore her to secrecy, but Katherine thought I deserved to know. When she told me, I was pissed. I was fuming for days. Katherine was the only one who could get me to calm down. Bottom line is, my mom's a witch and so is Alison. Only, Alison is a much stronger witch. She found out about her powers when she is only about two years old, and when she turned twelve she started researching different types of magic. She was very talented. It only took her two years to figure Expression out. Most witches try their whole lives and never succeed. But it wasn't really a good thing. That summer, André was tracking Katherine and he discovered Alison. He told Alison that he would let Katherine live if she joined him, but she refused. Katherine had friends who lived nearby, and together they managed to fight off André while Ali and I ran. That night Katherine compelled our parents to cut our trip short and head straight home. She kept André off our trails, and he never found us. Our lives went back to normal. Every summer we would vacation and Katherine would meet up with us. We never heard from him again, until the year Ali disappeared. I only found out today what really happened. André started stalking her, sending her texts signed _A_. Just like he's doing to all of you now." Jason finishes, and I notice that Aria is being very quiet.

"Aria, are you okay?" I ask, and she jerks her head up to look at me.

"Yeah, I just... I thought I was seeing things..." Aria mumbles, and I step closer to her.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, and she shakes her head.

"The day I met Alison. We were six and I approached her at the playground. She was playing in the sandbox and I could have sworn the sand was floating around her, but she told me I was seeing things." Aria says, and Emily speaks up as well.

"One night we were at the lake and she was waving her hand over the water. I don't think she knew I was looking. The water started bubbling, like it was boiling where her hand was hovering. When she looked at me, it stopped. I didn't ask her about it. She just smiled and said she was ready to go." She says, and I nod.

"Are you ready to hear the last bit of the story?" I ask them, and they all nod.

"Mona..." I say, and she stands up.

"The year after Ali disappeared, Hanna and I became very close friends, as you all know. She was the best friend I had ever had and I loved her for that. I still do... One night Hanna and I were driving home from the mall. I dropped Hanna off at her house and headed home. When I got out of the car, someone grabbed me from behind. They drug me into the woods and threw me on the ground. It was a girl in a red coat. She was wearing a mask and she started asking me all these questions about Alison. I told her that I didn't know anything. She said that they had been watching me for a while and that I was perfect for the job. She asked me... She asked me how much Hanna's life meant to me. She said that either I helped her, or they'd kill my only friend. I told her I would do anything, name it. That's when I learned about the A-Team. I made a deal with devil to keep Hanna alive. I don't know who Red Coat is. She always wears a mask with me, but I do know a few of the people who are in the A-Team. We are given orders by her, and we have to follow them. She holds something over all of us. With me, it's Hanna." Mona says, and Hanna takes a step toward her.

"What about the time I got hit by that car?" Hanna asks, and Mona starts to cry.

"It was Red Coat. I didn't know she was planning to kill you until after. She said that she thought you had figured her out, so she was going to get rid of you. But when she found out you had it wrong, she said she'd let you live." Mona tells her, and she seems surprised when Hanna hugs her.

"I still don't get what we have to do with all of this." Spencer says, crossing her arms.

"André needs Alison in order to beat Klaus. He simply can't do it without her. Our theory is that he suspects she's still alive and he is trying to draw her out by messing with her loved ones. And... Since Alison went missing, have any of you ever thought that you had seen her?" I ask, and they all nod.

"Whenever _A_ does something to attack us, we'll barely make it out. And sometimes, we think we see her. Like when I was trapped inside that barn and it was filling with toxic fumes. One minute I was struggling to breathe, and the next I was safe outside and Alison was talking to me. I thought I was dreaming..." Emily starts, watching me expectantly.

"When Ali told me about the texts, we came up with a plan. The plan was to fake her death to get André off her back, but it didn't work. You see Alison, because she's there. She's always there. She's supposed to be dead, but you see her because she can't bare to just stand back and watch the people she loves hurt. She tries to help you all, without letting anyone see her. But sometimes you do, because the truth is... Alison is alive and she's standing right behind you." I say, and they all turn around.

**So... There it is. They finally know the truth, but was it the right move to make? The next chapter is when the real action begins. Get ready for lots of drama, heartbreak, fighting, and all that good stuff. Okay, so I know I promised that new character in this chapter, but I decided to introduce them in the next chapter. I have feeling you will all like her. (: Also, Elijah will make his first appearance in Rosewood in either the next chapter, or the chapter after that. I haven't decided yet.**


	7. Getting Answers

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been so busy lately. I hope you guys won't be too disappointed with this chapter. It seems kind of short to me, but it was this or nothing. And just so there is no confusion, this chapter contains a flashback which will be written in italics. Please enjoy. (:**

Three hours later, we are making our plans. If everything goes accordingly, Red Coat will be unmasked tonight. The girls' heads are still spinning from everything they've learned today, but we all know that we need to focus if we want things to go smoothly tonight.

"Okay, let's go over this one more time. We can't afford to make any mistakes." Mona says, pacing the room.

"Mona will leave ten minutes before the rest of us. She will meet Red Coat at the East end of the woods." Jason begins, looking over to Katherine.

"Then Jason and I will hide at a safe distance and wait for the signal. The signal is?" I ask, looking over to Mona expectantly.

"I will run my fingers through my hair. At which point Katherine will attack, hopefully catching Red Coat off guard." Mona says, looking over to Hanna.

"When Katherine attacks, Aria and I will come from the left with vervain grenades in case Red Coat is a vampire." Hanna recalls, her voice shaking a little with nervousness.

"Then Emily and I will come from the right with wolfsbane grenades in case she is a werewolf." Spencer says confidently, ready for this bitch to finally be exposed.

"And if she's a witch... I'll take her on." Alison whispers, and I can see the doubt in her eyes.

"You can do it, Ali." I tell her, taking her hand in mine.

She gives me a small smile and I squeeze her hand reassuringly. Mona grabs her car keys and we all tell her to be careful. Hanna hugs her tightly before she leaves. She finally understands Mona's involvement with André. I look around at the girls and my heart goes out to them. I wish so badly that I could tell them it will all be over soon, but I know that isn't the case.

Bringing down Red Coat is only the beginning. There is so much more to come. Red Coat is merely one person in an army of hundreds. No one really speaks for the next several minutes. Finally, it's time to leave. We all walk together until I can hear Mona's voice in the distance. Jason and I continue straight, while the girls head off in opposite directions.

"Something feels off to me." Jason says, walking next to me.

"You're just worried. We all are." I tell him, trying to focus on Mona's voice.

"What are they saying?" He asks, rubbing his hands together to keep warm.

"Red Coat wants Mona to get Spencer's cel phone. She thinks Spencer may have information about her. Now she's asking about me. She wants to know who I am. She doesn't buy that I'm just some old friend. She... Oh my God." I breathe out, stopping in my tracks.

"What? What is it?" He asks, watching me with a worried expression.

"She knows what I am. She knows me. And... I know her. Jason, I know who Red Coat is." I yell/whisper, grabbing his arm and leading him in the right direction.

"Really? Well, who is it?" He asks, and I shake my head.

I motion for him to be quiet as Mona comes into view in the distance. Why did I not think about this? Why did I not suspect her? It's obvious now that I think about it. She was always jealous of Alison's magic and she was furious when Alison refused to help her master Expression. André probably promised her some kind of huge reward for helping him. I stand back for a moment, waiting for the signal. And there it is.

Mona runs her fingers through her hair and in a flash I am tackling Red Coat to the ground. Suddenly my head feels like it's about to explode. The pain is excruciating. I scream as I fall back. But just as quickly as the pain came, it was gone. My vision is blurry, but I can make out Alison's figure coming face to face with Red Coat, who we now all know is none other than CeCe Drake.

"I should have known!" Alison yells, furious at the betrayal.

"And I should have known that no one in this pathetic little town could kill the great and powerful Alison Di Laurentis." CeCe says sarcastically, before dropping to her knees screaming.

Alison walks over to CeCe, stopping a foot in front of her. I have no idea what Alison is doing to her, but whatever it is, CeCe is in a world of pain. There's a gleam in Alison's eye that I have never seen before, and it worries me a little. She has every reason to want CeCe dead, to want her to suffer, but the look in her eyes is so dark. I've never seen Alison like this. I move over to her and put one hand on her arm. She stops to look at me and CeCe falls over, unconscious. Alison yanks her arm away from me.

"Why did you stop me? I had her!" She yells, tears coming to her eyes.

"Alison, you are many things, but you're not a killer." I tell her, trying to calm her down.

"Kat's right. Besides, we might need her. She knows more about Andre's plans than any of us." Jason says, taking Alison's hand in his.

"Fine. But after we're done questioning her, she's gonna pay." Alison sneers, looking at CeCe with a look of fierce hatred.

An hour later, we are back at my motel. Alison is in the middle of the room setting up some kind of witchy circle. CeCe lies on the floor, still unconscious. Alison has placed candles around her and is burning several different herbs in a small metal bowl. She places her hands on CeCe's head and starts chanting.

This spell is supposed to relieve CeCe of her magic. Half way through the spell, my phone rings. I look down and can hardly believe it. The name on my screen says _Ariana B_. I accept the call and excuse myself from the room.

"Ariana? What's up?" I ask, closing the door behind me.

"_You_ tell _me_. I had a dream. There were two girls covered in blood, crying. Then I saw you running." She says, worry clear in her voice.

"Oh my God. What did these girls look like?" I ask, trying not to panic.

"I don't know... They were covered in blood. I know that they both had dark hair, and one might have been kind of tan." She tells me, and I have no idea what to make of this.

"Ariana, I'm in trouble, and if what you saw is a real sign, then I'm gonna need some more help." I say, forcing myself to breathe in and out.

"I'll do anything. You know that. Where are you?" She asks, and I know this might not be a good idea, but I do need her help.

"Rosewood, Pennsylvania." I say, knowing what's about to come.

"What? Why are you there? How could you risk going back? Doesn't your friend's family still live there? What if they see you and have questions? Or worse, what if André finds out? Wait..." She strays from what she was asking, putting pieces together.

"It's a little too late for me to leave now. There are people here who need me. _Alison_ needs me." I tell her, and I hear her sigh on the other end of the phone.

"I'll be there by morning. Katherine, _please_ be safe. I can't lose anyone else." She whispers, and I hear the line go dead.

Ariana Bennett is one of my closest friends. She is a twenty-two year old witch, and we go way back. She is the sister of Lucy Bennet, and the similarities are remarkable. Ariana has always been thought to be the prettiest though. I met her when she was fifteen years old. She was just coming into her powers. Before then, she just thought that she was psychic. She has prophetic dreams. She sees the future. No matter what she does to try to stop them, her dreams always come true.

She saw what would happen to her parents and two brothers, but she couldn't get home in time to stop it. We were vacationing in Hawaii. Her parents house caught on fire and they all burned. She also saw what would happen to my family once they were released from the tomb, but not until it was almost time for them to die. I got there an hour too late and extracted my revenge by trying to kill John Gilbert and wreaking havoc on the lives of those he loved, as he had done to me. Bottom line is, if Ariana sees something, it's going to happen.

"It's working. Who wants to ask a question?" Alison asks as I walk back into the room.

"Were you working with André the summer Alison went missing?" Emily asks, kneeling down next to Alison.

"Yes." CeCe replies in a monotone voice.

"Let's cut to the chase. Who else does André have working for him in Rosewood?" I ask, leaning down.

"Just me. Everyone else works for me." She says, and the thought brings little comfort, because I know that once CeCe is out of the picture, he will just replace her with someone else.

"Tell me the names of the people who work for you. There has to be more than Mona and Toby." I tell her, my patience wearing thin.

"Mona, Toby , Lucas, Wilden, Jenna, Shauna, and Melissa. Ian and Garret were with us, but they're both dead now." She says, and Jason steps up.

"Why did you kill Garret and Ian?" He asks, staring down at her with anger in his eyes.

"Ian was no longer needed and he strayed from the plan. I didn't kill him, that was Toby. Spencer wasn't supposed to die. Ian let his emotions get the best of him. As for Garret, he betrayed us. He was going to tell you all everything. He wanted to come clean and expose the A-Team. So Wilden killed him and blackmailed Melissa Hastings into helping him." CeCe replies, and her skin is starting to lose its color.

"How long has Melissa been a part of this?" Spencer asks, her voice shaking.

"Since a few weeks after Ian died. I offered her a place on the A-Team, and she refused. So I threatened Spencer. I knew that no matter how angry Melissa might have been at her sister, she'd never let anything happen to her. She joined to protect Spencer, but she recently tried to back out." CeCe mumbles, her voice getting weaker.

"What do you mean _tried_?" Spencer asks, leaning down next to me.

"She was angry that we nearly killed you. She wanted out. She said she'd find another way to protect you. Wilden told her that if she quit, he'd kill her, you, and your parents." CeCe whimpers, and Alison stops the spell.

"My power is too much for her. It was draining her. She wouldn't have lived much longer if we had kept going. Not that I would care, but you guys might have more questions." Alison tells us, standing up.

"Ali's right. We need to let her rest. We'll lock her up and finish this when she's... feeling better." I say, picking CeCe up bridal style.

I sit her down in a blue recliner in a corner of the room. Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna say that they will go find some rope. I know they probably want a chance to be by themselves for a while and try to wrap their heads around all that has happened tonight. Once they have left, it is just me, Jason, Alison, Mona, and an unconcious CeCe.

"Katherine, can we talk?" Jason asks, motioning toward the door.

"Sure, Jason." I say, following him out.

"Look, I know this may be a bad time, but I need to know where we stand. I don't believe that we have no chance." He says, looking me in the eyes.

"We've been through this Jason. There's just too much in the way. We lead entirely different lives and I could never ask you to endure the life that I live. Not only that, my heart will always belong to someone else. I love you, yes. But I'm not _in love _with you. It's always going to be Elijah, even if he doesn't believe that." I tell him, for what I hope will be the last time

"I know you think that now, but you need to face the facts Katherine. He l_eft_ you. He _doesn't _love you any more. He doesn't want to _be with you_. And you have someone who _does _love you standing right in front of you, and I am asking for just _one_ chance to show you that I'm the man for you. Because I am. I have known it since that first summer. Does your heart really refuse to remember how happy you were when you were with me? You told me that you had never felt so free." He reminds me, and suddenly I feel like we're back on that beach.

_~It's the year 2006 and I have just met some great friends. Alison and Jason Di Laurentis. Right now I am walking down the beach with Jason. He stands two inches from me, and occasionally while we walk our arms touch, sending shivers through my body. I don't know what it is about this young man that makes me feel so... human. When I'm with him, nothing else really matters._

_"Summer's almost over. In two weeks, you'll be leaving." I say, looking down at the sand._

_"I'm dreading it. Which is odd, because I didn't want to come on this vacation in the first place." He tells me, and I can see him watching me from the corner of my eye._

_"Yeah? And might I ask what made you change your mind about this place?" I ask, and he stops._

_"You." He answers simply, and I stop to look at him._

_"Really? I thought after everything that happened with your mom and dad, you'd be ready to get away from me." I say, and he lets his hand rest on my shoulder._

_"None of that was your fault. All you did was find out the truth. I can still hardly believe it, though. I mean, before the summer started we were just a normal dysfunctional family, but now... My sister's a witch, my mom's a witch, and my dad isn't my dad. The only good thing to come out of this summer is you." He says, sitting down in the sand._

_I sit down next to him and look out at the ocean. The sun is setting and the sky is painted with various shades of orange and pink. I lay back and Jason does the same. Neither of us speak for a moment, and I know there's something he wants to say._

_"What are you thinking about?" I ask, turning on my side so I can face him._

_"What it's gonna be like back at home now. How can I face my father every day and not be able to tell him the truth? How will I be able to see Mr. Hastings every day and know that he's my real father? And one of Alison's closest friends is Spencer Hastings. She's at our house all the time. Now when I see her, I'll know that she's my sister, but I won't be able to tell her." He says, facing me._

_"Just do what I do. Tell yourself that things don't matter, and eventually you'll start to believe it." I tell him, and he smiles slightly at me._

_"So that's how you've made it through five-hundred years? You just act like you don't care?" He asks, and I look down._

_"Usually. But sometimes, like this summer, I'll meet someone who makes me want to care. You have no idea how much you and Ali mean to me. My whole existence I've just felt like a fugitive on the run, but with you... I've never felt more free." I admit, and he raises one hand to gently caress my cheek._

_"If I kissed you right now, would you kill me?" He asks, and I smile._

_"Do it and find out." I whisper, and I close my eyes as he does.~_

I'm brought back to reality by the sound of the elevator dinging.

"You do remember. I can see it in your eyes. Why is it so hard for you to accept that maybe you're wrong? I can make you happy, Katherine. Happier than he ever could." He tells me, reaching for my hand.

I shake my head at Jason, preparing to reject him once again, but something catches my attention. I don't know how to describe it. It's the strangest feeling. I look around and as I do, the elevator opens up. I almost gasp when I see who steps out. My heart beats hard in my chest and Jason looks confused. I can hardly believe he came. I step away from Jason and come face to face with Elijah.

"Elijah... You actually came." I say, genuinely surprised.

"If my family is in danger, you know that I will do whatever is needed to protect them." He tells me, glancing quickly at Jason.

"Um, this is my friend Jason Di Laurentis. Jason, this is Elijah Mikaelson." I introduce them, but neither seem very pleased to be meeting.

"Elijah, I've heard a lot about you. Katherine is very... _fond _of you." Jason says, the bitterness clear in his voice.

"Jason, can you give us a moment?" I ask, and he sends Elijah a final look of distaste before going back into my room.

"So, will your brother also be making an appearance?" I ask, hoping desperately that the answer will be no.

"Soon, but for now he remains in New Orleans. He has found himself in a bit of an odd situation, as you know." He says, and something seems off about him.

"Right. The whole hybrid-werewolf baby thing. Rebekah told me, and I have spoken to Hayley." I say, and he raises an eyebrow.

"I'm sure Klaus is unaware of that. How did you get her to forgive you?" He asks, genuine wonder in his eyes.

"Your brother isn't always right. I never sent anyone to kill Hayley, she knows that. I choose my friends carefully. I happen to care for Hayley, despite her being knocked up by the person I hate most in the world. Anyway, speaking of my friends, there are some people you need to meet." I tell him, motioning for him to follow me inside.

We walk inside and his eyes immediately go to CeCe. He furrows his brows in confusion before looking around the room. Alison is lying on the bed, but rises up when she sees us. Mona sits on the windowsill and Jason is leaning against the wall next to her, glaring at Elijah.

"Elijah, that's my friend Mona Vanderwaal," I begin, pointing to Mona, "and that is my _best _friend Alison Di Laurentis. Oh, and the unconscious blonde over there is CeCe Drake. She is working with André." I finish, and he nods to them.

"So, in your letter you told me that there was more that I needed to know." Elijah reminds me, looking away from the girls and back to me.

I go on to tell him the story of André and I. Next I tell him about tonight's events and the events leading up to them. I tell him how I met Alison and Jason, how Alison and I faked her death, everything. He listens quietly until I have finished. He remains silent for several moments until the door opens. Emily, Spencer, Aria, and Emily walk in with the rope. Spencer spares a glance at Elijah before moving to tie CeCe up.

"So, who's the Suit?" Hanna asks, and Emily nudges her in the side.

"Sorry about her. She kind of just says whatever comes to mind. She has no filter." Aria says, and Elijah smiles.

"It's no problem. Spending time with Katherine, I have grown used to people speaking their minds, no matter how inappropriate." Elijah says, looking at me.

"Elijah, these are my other friends. Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna." I tell him, with a small smirk on my face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. And I am very sorry that you have become tangled in Andre's games." Elijah says, and they all smile at him.

"I have just been informed that my friend Ariana Bennett will be coming in the morning. She's a witch, and... She has dreams, like prophecies. The problem is, she had one about us and it isn't good." I say, and everyone looks at me worriedly.

"Well, what happened in this dream?" Alison asks, moving to stand next to me.

"She couldn't tell me much. She just said that there were two girls covered in blood, she thinks one of them might have been tan-skinned. Then she saw me. I was running from something, or someone." I tell them, and Emily looks scared.

"Tan skin. I'm pretty sure that would be me." Emily says, her voice shaking.

"Em, we will not let anything happen to you." Spencer promises, taking her hand.

"You can't promise that, Spenc. How many times has that already been proved? We have all been on the brink of death at some point because of André. I'm seriously shocked that one of us hasn't ended up six feet under yet. I was locked in a barn suffocating on toxic fumes and Alison barely got me out in time. Hanna was run over by a freaking car and they said it was a miracle that the only real damage was a broken arm. Aria was shoved in a casket and nearly tossed off a moving train. She'd be dead right now if it weren't for us. And you, Spencer. You were nearly scolded to death! Alison had to _fake _her death after nearly being killed several times just to escape André's twisted game and Mona was forced into this because of her loyalty to Hanna. Katherine has been to hell and back over and over again because of things that are beyond her control. She has been a victim of this craziness for hundreds of years. Now Jason is stuck in it too because of his love for Alison and Katherine. Oh, and let's not forget your sister. She is being forced to help Andre because she doesn't want you to die!" Emily says, trying and failing to keep her voice down.

"Emily's right. We can't promise that none of us are going to die, or get hurt. But I can promise one thing. Andre's not going to walk away from this. If we all have to fight to our last breaths, that's just what we'll have to do. He will not win. We won't let him." Mona says, and everyone nods in agreement.

"Look, it's late and we're all exhausted. I say we just go home, get some rest and meet back here tomorrow." Jason suggests, walking toward me.

"Jason's right. You should all just go home and sleep. I'll see you at school tomorrow." I tell them, looking at Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily.

"Wait. I, um... I don't think I can sleep alone tonight." Aria says, looking down embarrassed.

"Neither can I. Being a human in the middle of a supernatural power war kind of worries me." Hanna tells us, her voice shaking.

"Spencer, your family is out of town for the week, right?" Alison asks, and Spencer nods.

"Yeah, they won't be back until next week."Spencer confirms, looking at Alison curiously.

"I can do a boundary spell on your house. You, Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Mona can stay there tonight and I can make sure that no one else is able to get in. You'll be perfectly safe." Alison offers, and they all nod.

An hour later, everyone has left. Elijah told me that he would be staying in a room down the hall from me. Now it is just Alison, CeCe and I. Alison lies down and within ten minutes, she is fast asleep. I walk over to the window and look out at the cars driving by. I realize that I haven't fed today, but I don't want to leave Alison alone with CeCe. I know Alison could protect herself, especially now that CeCe has been stripped of her powers, but my protective instincts will not let me risk it.


	8. No Choice To Make

The next morning, I wake up early. I glance at the clock and see that it is 5:00 a.m. I decide to try and get more answers from CeCe before I leave. I walk over to her and note that she is probably going to have a major crick in her neck. I slap her cheek gently a few times and she starts to stir a little. I wait a moment for her eyes to open. As soon as they do, I lean over so we are face to face.

"Good morning, Sleeping Bitch." I say, smiling at her.

"What happened to me?" She groans, struggling to keep her head up.

"Ali beat you at your own game. She was quite angry by the way. I would be too though if I found out that my friend was a backstabbing bitch. Then again, we always knew you were pretty fake." I taunt her, satisfied by the way her nostrils are flaring.

"If you think you can just kidnap me and André won't come after you, you're so wrong. He and I are in this together." She says, raising her chin a little.

I can't fight the overwhelming urge to laugh in her face. I can tell that she is growing frustrated with every second of my laughter. Finally, I calm down a little and I notice that Alison is waking up. I lean back down and shake my head at CeCe.

"_In this together!? _Oh honey, you are just so gullible." I say, mockingly.

"I don't care what you say. André and I _are_ partners and he _will _come for me, and when he does, you are _dead_." She growls, trying her best to appear threatening.

"I am just shaking right now, CeCe. Honestly. Hey, Ali. What about you? Aren't you just terrified?" I ask, and Alison smirks.

"You know it. You're so intimidating, CeCe. All tied up and _powerless_." Alison chimes in, walking over to us.

"Listen here, you stupid bitches. Let me go and you might just make it out of this alive." CeCe tells us, and we both shake our heads.

"André isn't going to come for you, CeCe. He doesn't care about you. You're merely his puppet. He pulls the strings and you do whatever he says. He was never planning on sharing any kind of power with you. He was most likely going to kill you, and now that you're just another human, he definitely will." I say, and she looks like she might cry.

"Unless we do it for him." Alison suggests, rasing an eyebrow at CeCe.

"I know you, Ali. You don't have it in you to kill anyone." CeCe says, knowingly.

I watch as Alison's face grows serious. She leans in dangerously close to CeCe. She has the same evil look in her eye that she had last night and once again, I begin to worry. She's never been so dark.

"You know me? What makes you think you know a damn thing about me? What, because you stalked me for a year? Because you pretended to be my friend? Well, let me tell you something, CeCe... You do not know me!" Alison yells, and CeCe jumps in fear.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Elijah asks, barging in.

I walk over to him and motion for him to stay back.

"They're just working out some issues." I tell him, looking back at Alison with a smile.

"You think you're so tough, Alison? _You're not_. You are _weak_. If you're such a bad ass witch, why did you fake your death to escape André? Why not just take him on? You're a scared little girl. That's all you'll ever be. I betrayed you and you don't even have what it takes to kill me." CeCe says, challenging Alison.

"This conversation is done, and so are you." Alison whispers menacingly.

The lights in the room begin to flicker and I walk toward Alison. Suddenly I am thrown back and Elijah grabs me. The whole room has begun to shake and Alison's eyes have gone from blue to white. CeCe begins to bleed from her mouth, nose, and ears. I try again to get to Alison, but Elijah holds me back.

"I am not weak!" Alison yells, and suddenly everything stops.

The lights go back to normal and the room is no longer shaking. Elijah lets me go and I approach Alison slowly. She makes no move to throw me back again, so I stop right in front of her. She is breathing heavily and her eyes have gone back to normal.

"Alison? Ali, are you okay?" I ask, nervously reaching for her arm.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She asks, looking at me with a blank expression.

I look over to Elijah and he seems to sense my worry. He walks over to us and as he does, there is a knock at the door. I assume it is the manager or some neighbor that heard the yelling. I make my way to the door and when I open it I come face to face with Ariana. I note that she doesn't look much different from the last time I saw her, which was right before my family was slaughtered by John Gilbert.

Ariana is quite beautiful. Her dark hair is done in dreadlocks. Some of her dreads are red and she is dressed in black skinny jeans, red heels, and a strapless red low-cut shirt that stops right above her belly button. She is wearing large gold hoop ear rings and a matching chain necklace. She has a nose piercing, a belly button piercing, and a lip piercing. While her face resembles Lucy's, their styles have always been much different.

"Ariana!" I yell joyfully, temporarily forgetting what has just happened with Alison.

"Kathy!" She yells back just as excitedly, pulling me in for a tight hug.

"I'm so glad to see you! I have missed you so much, and I know what happened between you and Lucy. She's pretty mad, but hey that's between you two and... Oh my God... What happened?" She asks, going from happy to confused in a split second.

"Um... That's a long story. I'll get that cleaned up, and you can sit your bags on the bed." I tell her, hurrying over to CeCe.

I throw a blanket over CeCe and ask Alison where the best place to dump a body is. We decide to put it in another room and let a maid or someone else find it. I have no idea what kind of story they are going to come up with as to how she died, but right now I can't think about it. Elijah helps me and when we come back, I see that Ariana and Alison have already introduced themselves.

"So, Ariana... This is Elijah Mikaelson. Elijah, that is Ariana Bennet." I introduce them, and she moves to shake his hand.

"Elijah Mikaelson. Original vampire. Second oldest of the Mikaelson siblings. You are here because you are worried about your brother Niklaus Mikaelson and also because you are worried about Katherine, or _Katerina _as you call her." She states, and Elijah seems confused.

"Ariana has a gift. Besides being a witch, she can see your entire past and feel what you feel with just a simple touch." I tell him, and he smiles at her, impressed.

"I am impressed, Miss Bennet. It is a pleasure to meet you." Elijah says, and Ariana smiles back at him.

"Well, I would love to stay here and talk some more, but I need to get to school. Mona has already texted me like fifteen times." I say, backing out of the room.

"What? I just got here and you're already leaving me?" Ariana asks, watching me with disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but my friends are scared to go to school without me. You can hang out with Alison. You have a lot in common." I tell her, waving goodbye to her.

"I'll walk you out." Elijah offers, and I nod to him.

Once we shut the door, he turns to me.

"Your friend Alison seems a bit bi-polar." Elijah says as we walk toward the elevator.

"She's always been like that, but these last couple days... I don't know. There's this darkness in her that I've never seen before. Ariana has dealt with black magic and has been able to overcome it, so I'm hoping that by her spending time with Alison, she can help her before it gets any farther." I say, and Elijah looks at me curiously.

"You really care about Alison. I mean, you truly are willing to do anything for her." He says, and I stop to look at him.

"That really surprises you doesn't it? Oh, that's right. I can't believe I almost forgot. You've joined Team Anti-Katherine." I scoff, starting to walk away.

He catches my arm and urges me to look at him.

"I can't say I'm surprised though. Because _Elena Gilbert is always right_. She's just so _perfect_, so _good_, so _pure_, so _innocent_. If she doesn't like someone, everyone should just follow along with her." I begin, and Elijah tries to stop me.

"Katerina, please just..." He tries, but I continue.

"Well, guess what Elijah. I was her once! I was good, I was innocent, but I never pretended to be perfect. I was human and I truly believed that love made the world spin. But then I met you and your psychotic brother. You can judge me all you want Elijah, but we both know that you made me this way! I trusted too easily and I loved blindly, because I believed that you were worth it. I never thought, _not once_, that you would betray me. If I'm a monster now, it's because of you!" I yell, feeling the tears coming.

"Katerina, I am so very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Not five-hundred years ago and not now." He whispers, taking my hand in his.

"You weren't sorry enough to stay. After five-hundred years of _hell_ I finally had a shot at happiness, we both did. You walked away from me, Elijah. I needed you and you left." I remind him, forcing the tears back.

"My family needed me, Katerina. I never wanted to leave you. Please believe that." He tells me, cupping my left cheek with his free hand.

"_How can I trust you when at every turn you give me reason to doubt you?_ That's what you asked me. Well, now I'm asking you. How can _I _believe that _you_ care when every time we get a chance to be together, you turn your back on me?" I ask, and when he says nothing, I decide to leave.

"I have to go to school, Elijah, and I think I can handle the elevator by myself. I am sorry for lying to you about what I had to do to get the cure, I thought it was best for both of us if you didn't know, but I will never apologise for doing what I thought I had to do for us to have a shot at being happy. Because unlike you, I never gave up on us. You might recognize this next move, since you seem to have it mastered." I say, walking away.

I step into the elevator and face Elijah once more. He watches in silence as the door shuts and I let the tears fall. I make my way out of the motel and get to school as quickly as I can. Once I'm there, I go straight for the girl's bathroom. I look in the mirror and I'm surprised that my make up hasn't smudged too badly.

"Kat, there you are!" Mona exclaims, rushing into the girl's bathroom.

"Hey, Mona. Sorry I took so long... I just..." I stray from what I was going to say, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

"What happened?" She asks, placing a hand on my arm softly.

"Elijah and I had a moment when I was leaving for school, but I don't want to talk about it right now. Where are the other girls?" I ask, running my fingers through my hair in the mirror.

Before she can answer me, the door opens again. Aria, Spencer, Emily, and Hanna walk in.

"Hey, what's up?" Aria asks, and I look at Mona for a moment before looking back at the girls.

"There's something you all need to know. Ali kind of lost control this morning." I tell them, and they look at me curiously.

"What do you mean she lost control?" Spencer asks, nervously.

"I mean, CeCe pushed her too far and Ali killed her. That's not what bothered me, though. It's the way Alison looked while she was doing it. I'm worried about her. I think the dark magic may be messing with her head." I say, earning gasps from everyone.

"Wait a second, you didn't tell us that Expression is dark magic." Hanna says, panicking a little.

"Because I didn't want anyone to worry. Alison has always had her magic under control. I think it's just because she's stressed, but I'm hoping that my friend Ariana can help her. Ariana used to practice Expression when she was a teenager, but it became too much for her to handle so she had some friends help her reach out to the spirits. They were able to remove all the darkness from her, but it wasn't easy. It took nearly a year before she was back to her old self. I don't think Alison is that bad though, and as long as Ariana's around, Ali should be okay." I assure them, and it seems to calm them down.

"So, CeCe's out of the picture, but that won't be the end. André has plenty of people to replace her." Mona says, and I nod in agreement.

"Mona's right. Red Coat is dead but the threat still exists. We can talk more about this at lunch. Class is about to start. I'll see you guys later." I say, walking out.

We all head to our classes and I pray that the day will go by quickly. I am in third period when I get a text from a blocked number. I open it up and try to contain my surprise. I press 'read message' and groan inwardly.

_"My dearest Katerina. How sad is your situation with the eldest Original? He may be bringing tears of sadness to your eyes, but very soon I will be bringing tears of fear. Sincerely, A."_

I stare at the text for a minute, not sure what to think of it. I close it after several moments and look around the room, checking to see if any of my classmates have their phones out. I wait impatiently for the bell to ring, and as soon as it does I leave the school. I text Mona to let her know that I am going back to the motel. I walk into my room and as I do my phone rings. The number is blocked and my heart skips a beat. Would he really be calling me? I decide that it would be best to answer, so I do.

"Hello? Who is this?" I ask, trying not to sound as nervous as I am.

"Little Katerina Petrova... How have you been darling?" He asks, and I struggle not to crush the phone in my tight grip.

"André... It's been a while. I think you know exactly how I'm doing." I say, causing Alison and Ariana to jump off the bed.

"Well, perhaps you should learn to mind your own business rather than butting in where you're not wanted and messing up my games." He says, and I put him on speaker phone so Alison and Ariana can hear just as Elijah walks in.

"You know me, André. So you should know better than to mess with my loved ones and expect me not to get involved. CeCe should have known better to, maybe she'd still be alive." I taunt him, and he laughs bitterly.

"So you _are_ the reason I haven't heard from her... I guess I should have known that as well though. I must say I'm suprised you have so much time on your hands. I thought with all your boy drama you would be plenty busy." He tells me, and Elijah looks at me curiously.

"You've been spying on me. I would think that with all your take-over-the-world drama you would be plenty busy." I mock him, and I can sense his frustration.

"It's always best to keep your enemies close. You have to know everything you can about them. Watch them closely to learn their _weaknesses_." He sneers, the threat clear in his voice.

"What are you getting at André?" I ask, a harshness in my voice.

"I'm not stupid enough to go after Elijah, but he's not the only ex-boyfriend you've got in Rosewood. What was his name again? Jason? He seems like a nice guy. A bit slow though... He just doesn't understand that you're in love with Elijah. But hey, I could always make it easier for you. Get him out of the picture..." He starts, and Alison's eyes grow wide.

"Listen to me André. If you get _near_ him I will _hunt_ you down and tear you to _shreds_. You wanna mess with me? Fine. But you had better stay the hell away from Jason." I snarl, hanging up on him.

I move toward the door and Elijah catches my arm.

"Don't do anything irrational, Katerina." Elijah warns me, but I yank my arm away from him.

"Let go of me Elijah. I have to find him before André does!" I yell, running out of the room.

I run and run as fast as I can. I am at Jason's house in less than a minute. I don't bother knocking. Instead I jerk open the door and run inside. I run through every room but see him no where. Suddenly the sweetest smell hits me. _Blood._

"Jason!" I yell, following the scent to the back yard.

I see him lying on the ground, blood pooling from his stomach. He's shaking and struggling to breathe. I am by his side in a flash. I lift his head up into my lap and I can't stop the tears that are now falling from my eyes.

"Jason... Jason, you're gonna be okay. I'm gonna give you my blood and you'll be alright." I promise him, not caring how weak I may look right now.

I bite into my wrist and put it to his mouth. It takes him a moment to get the blood down and I pray I'm not too late. I let my blood drip into his mouth. I notice for the first time that Elijah has followed me. He watches as Jason's wound begins to heal and I hug Jason tightly to me. I can sense Elijah's discomfort, but I can't bring myself to care at the moment.

"Jason, can you hear me? Please say something." I beg, still crying though his wound has healed.

"Thank you." He says, his voice sounding a little dry.

"I am so, so sorry that this happened to you. I'm sorry for everything." I tell him, and he smiles.

"It's not your fault. I'm in this because I love you. I don't care what you say, or how many times you tell me that it can't work. I would die for you in a heartbeat." He confesses, and we both stand up.

"I don't want you staying alone." I tell him, and he smiles again.

"Well, your hotel room is a bit crowded. But I guess sharing the bed with you wouldn't be all that bad." He says jokingly, smiling at me.

"I was thinking more along the lines of you staying a room over from me." I say, glancing over at Elijah who has remained quiet this whole time.

"Fine. I guess it would be better for us all to stick together. I mean, if that's okay with Elijah. I don't know if you two are..." He starts, but stops to look at Elijah.

"We're not and it's no problem. It would be safer for you, being _fragile _and all." Elijah tells him before turning to leave.

"I don't think he likes me much." Jason says, a small smirk gracing his face.

"He doesn't know you. I'm sure the two of you will get along just fine when you become better acquainted." I tell him, even though I don't really believe it.

"I doubt it. We're in love with the same girl." He reminds me, and I don't know what to say to that.

I don't want to hurt him anymore. The last thing I want is to be stuck in some love triangle. That isn't me. Like I said before, I am not Elena Gilbert. I have always known exactly what I want. Even if I am interested in two guys, as I was with the Salvatores and as I am now with Jason and Elijah, I always know which one I love more. I love Jason, but I am in love with Elijah. It is as simple as that. Elijah is the one I want to fall asleep with every night, and wake up next to every morning. Elijah is and always will be the love of my life. There's no choice to make. Elijah is it for me. But there was a moment, just a moment, when I truly believed that I had lost Jason. Sitting there with him bleeding out in my arms, I felt as if my whole world was crashing down around me. No one understands what he means to me. He and Alison are two of the best friends I have ever had. If I lost either of them, I would lose myself. A part of my heart will always remember how I felt that first summer with Jason. I will always be thankful to him for bringing out a part of me that I believed had died so long ago. A part of me that I lost when I learned the truth about Elijah. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I do know that I want them both to be a part of it. I want Elijah's love and Jason's friendship. But I fear that I may have to let one go, and as I said before, there is no choice to it. If I have to, I will walk away from Jason Di Laurentis.

**So, there's chapter 8. I would really really appreciate it if you guys would let me know what you think of it. (:**

**What to look forward to in chapter 9 of Love, Lies, and Games: How will Elijah react to Jason being in love with Katherine? Will Elijah be able to swallow his pride and fight for the girl he loves? How much more can Katherine take before she snaps? Plus, André is at it again. This time, kidnapping two of the Little Liars. How will the gang find someone who is highly skilled at staying hidden? And Ariana gets closer to Alison. But is she too late to save Ali from the darkness that is threatening to consume her? Wait and see. (:**


	9. Abducted

It's been two days since we have heard anything from André. I'm at the motel talking to Spencer about her sister. Apparently Melissa told her everything she knows, which isn't very much. Basically, it's exactly what CeCe told us. Spencer is worried for her sister's safety, and I tell her I will do my best to protect Melissa, as well as Spencer's loved ones.

"Katerina, can I talk to you?" He asks, and I briefly consider telling him to go to hell, but decide to hear what he has to say.

"Sure. Um, we'll continue this later Spencer." I say, and Spencer nods in agreement.

I follow Elijah outside and the tension is so thick I feel like I can't breathe. He leans against the side of the motel and stares at me for a moment, as if trying to decide what he wants to say. I cross my arms and raise and raise an eyebrow at him.

"What's up?" I ask, and he lets out a long breath.

"I need to know something, and I know that I may no longer have the right to know, but I just... I need to know if there is something going on with you and Jason." He says, his eyes boring deep into mine.

"You're right. You no longer have the right to know." I begin, and he looks down. "But the answer is no. He wants something to happen, but I don't. Whatever Jason and I had four years ago is over. I meant what I said to you back in Pennsylvania. I love you, Elijah. My heart is always going to belong to you."

"Just as my heart will always belong to you. I know now that you were being honest with me, and I am truly sorry that I let Elena plant doubt in my mind. That will never happen again. I love you, Katerina. Do you think that there is any way that we could start over?" He asks, and my heart is racing.

"Start over? How? Elijah, I'm sorry too. But we can't just start over. There is still so much in the way. Your brother being the biggest obstacle. You were right in your decision to stand by him. I see that now. I may despise Klaus, but I can't deny that if my family were still alive, I would stand by them no matter what. You'll never be able to turn your back on him and we can never be together because of that." I say, my heart breaking with every word.

"If I could convince him to pardon you..." He starts, and I cut him off.

"Are you serious, Elijah? That is never going to happen. He has made it clear several times. He doesn't give a damn that you love me or that us being together would make you happy. He is never going to give me my freedom." I say, and the look in his eyes tells me that I'm right.

"Then just give me some time. I can get him on the right track. Help him reclaim New Orleans, win over Caroline, and take care of the baby. Then once he's got everything he wants, I can leave and we can be together." He suggests, and while it actually sounds like a good plan, I just can't do it.

"Elijah, I love you so much. I want to be with you, but I can't do the whole _someday_ thing. All my life I would tell myself '_someday I'll be happy'_, _'someday I'll be free'_, _'someday it will all be okay'_, well I'm done with that. Your brother needs you, and I respect your decision to help him, but I'm not going to stand here and make _promises for the future _with you." I tell him, and he grows silent.

He approaches me slowly, stopping mere inches from me. He raises his hand to stroke my cheek gently. I stare up at him as he leans down. I close my eyes and let myself get lost in his kiss. When we pull apart, a tear falls from my eye. He brushes it away with his thumb and lets his hand fall to his side. We stand there silent for a minute, and my phone begins to vibrate in my pocket. I take one last look at Elijah before turning to leave. I walk down the street in no particular direction for about twenty minutes. I'm about to call and check in with Alison when my phone rings.

"Hanna, what's up?" I ask, my head still spinning a little from the kiss.

"You need to get to Aria's house _now_. Mona and I are already here. Get the others and come quick. I think something awful has happened to Aria and Emily." She says, and I can tell that she is scared.

"Okay, I'm on my way." I say, hanging up the phone.

I run back to the motel to get Elijah. I find him in my room talking to Ariana, Spencer, and Alison. They all look up at me worriedly when I rush inside.

"There's trouble at Aria's. I don't know what happened. Hanna just called me and told me to come over. She sounded really scared." I tell them, and they all stand up quickly.

Elijah and I are the first to arrive at Aria's house, running as fast as we can. I run up to the door and stop. I smell blood, and lots of it. I look over to Elijah and I know he's thinking the worst. I put one foot through the door and curse under my breath. No barrier means no owner. I walk in and Hanna comes running down the stairs, sobbing. Mona follows closely behind her.

"Mr. Montgomery is dead and Aria's room is a mess. She and Emily were supposed to be here!" Mona yells, and I grab her arms.

"Mona, get Hanna out of here _now_. Wait outside for Spencer." I tell her, and she nods quickly.

They walk outside and I stare at the stairs for a moment. I close my eyes and tell myself to breathe. Elijah and I walk side by side up the stairs. Sure enough, Mr. Montgomery lies dead in a pool of his own blood on his bedroom floor. His throat has been slit and there are several stab wounds on his chest and abdomen. I walk past his room and into Aria's. Hanna was right. The room looks like it was caught in a tornado.

"Oh my God. No... If Aria and Emily were dead, whoever did this wouldn't take their bodies with them." I say, trying not to let myself believe they're dead.

"No, but if André wants to use them to bargain with, he would need to take them." Elijah says, and suddenly I think they'd be better off dead.

"God only knows what kind of pain they're in if André has them." I whisper, sadness coming over me.

"We'll find them, Katerina. I promise." He tells me, and I shake my head at him.

"Emily was right. When it comes to Andre's games, you can't promise anything." I tell him, walking out of the room.

When I get outside Spencer is crying. I know they're all thinking the worst. I don't know what to tell them. Nothing I say right now will make things better. I need to find André and end this. If I don't, he will just keep killing and soon this whole town will be a pile of rubble. But how do I even begin my search?

"Listen to me." I begin, and they all look at me. "I know that we're all scared, and we should be. But right now we need to be strong, for Aria and Emily's sake. I know that these last couple years have been hard and I can't tell you that things aren't going to get harder, because it will. Things are about to get very messy and I can't tell you that you're all going to survive, but I can tell you that I will fight until my last breath for all of you. I have spent five-hundred years running from André and people like him, but that ends now. No more running away, it's time to fight. Alison and I are stuck in this, but it's not too late for the rest of you. I have safe houses all over the world that any of you can stay in if you choose. Just tell me if you want out, and I'll have you on a plane and on your way to safety in no time at all. I need you all to make a choice right now. Stay and fight with me or leave. I won't judge anyone if they choose to walk away."

"I'm not walking away. I'm going to fight until there is no fight left in me." Spencer says, taking a step toward me.

"I'm not going anywhere until André is dead, but I do want you to get my family out of town." Mona says, and I nod.

"I wanna find Aria and Emily and stake this André bitch myself." Hanna says angrily, her voice shaking a little.

"I made the mistake of turning my back on you before, that isn't going to happen again. I'm staying, but we're going to need more help. We need to call in a few friends." Elijah says, and I know that he's referring to Klaus.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess we don't really have much of a choice." I say, running my fingers through my hair.

"Elijah and I will take care of Mr. Montgomery's body. We'll have to keep him hidden until we find Aria. We can't have the police searching for her. Hanna, you need to tell your mom that Emily is staying with Spencer for a few days because the two of you had a disagreement. Spencer, you need to find your sister and find out all you can from her. Mona, I need you to meet me back here in half an hour." I tell them, and they all agree and leave.

"So, shall we get started?" Elijah asks, and I sigh.

"We have to clean the house. Aria has a younger brother, Mike. He'll probably be home soon. We can't let him get suspicious. I think her mother stops by from time to time but she doesn't live here." I say, and we walk inside together.

Elijah insists that he take care of the body and Mr. Montgomery's room while I clean Aria's room. He rolls the body up in a carpet and takes it downstairs. He tells me that he will bury it in the woods when he finishes cleaning up all the blood. It doesn't take us very long to clean up. By the time Mona arrives Elijah has just left to bury the body. He flashes too quickly for even a vampire to see.

"Okay, I think I'm done here. This is what her room is supposed to look like, right?" I ask, and Mona nods.

"Yep. Pretty much. So, what are we doing now?" She asks, and I take a deep breath before answering.

"I need to see Jason. I told Alison I'd ask him to come over and see her for a while. There's also something I need to tell him, and I don't want to do it over the phone. After that, I am going to call a few friends and ask them to fight with us. Then you and I are going to convince your parents to leave town." I tell her, signalling for her to follow me.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what's up with you and Jason?" She asks, and I smile.

"Nothing's up with Jason and I. We're just really good friends. I told you, I love Elijah." I say, and she gives me a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, I also know that you and Elijah are having problems and Jason is madly in love with you. And don't act like it's one-sided. You're totally in to Jason, you just won't admit it to yourself. I've seen you looking at him." She accuses, and I roll my eyes.

"What you have seen is me looking lovingly at my very good friend. Jason is very important to me, but Elijah is the only man I want. It's as simple as that, Mona." I tell her, but I know she isn't buying it.

"Whatever. So, where exactly do you and Elijah stand?" She asks, and I consider her question for a moment before answering.

"We're friends who want to be more, but there's a lot standing in the way. His brother being the biggest thing. Mona... If I tell you something, can you promise you won't tell anyone?" I ask, and she looks at me suspiciously.

"Of course. I'm great at keeping secrets, in case you haven't heard." She says, and I stop walking to face her.

"Elijah and I kissed earlier. Right before you and Hanna called me." I tell her, and her eyes light up.

"What?! Seriously?! That's awesome. I'm so glad things are working out. I change my mind, screw Jason. You have to tell me every last detail. What did he say to you? Did you have a moment or was it just unexpected?" She asks, talking impressively fast.

"Whoa, slow down. It doesn't mean we're back together. It just means that we _want_ to be together. He asked for me back, but I basically said no, or _not now. _He understands that it's not as simple as a kiss. He has things to deal with and so do I. We may have had a moment, but that moment ended and I came back to reality." I say, walking next to her again.

"Well, I think you can make a new reality." She says as we approach Jason's house.

He's sitting on the front porch and he quickly stands when he sees us coming. He smiles charmingly at me as I walk up the steps.

"So, Jason. You got any liquor? I could use a glass after the day I've had." Mona says, giving Jason her best pout.

"I've got vodka and bourbon. Take your pick. It's in the kitchen." He tells her, and she skips off into the house.

Once Mona is inside, I take a seat on the top step. Jason sits next to me and we don't say anything for a minute. I know what I want to tell him, I just don't know how. I can feel his eyes watching me closely. I take a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Jason, I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just gonna come out and say it. It's time to move on. It's time for you to let me go so you can be happy." I say, and he looks down briefly before looking back at me.

"No." He says simply, and I shake my head at him.

"All you're doing is hurting yourself, and me. It kills me to see you hurting and the only way you're going to be happy is if you let me go and find someone else, preferably someone human." I tell him, but he isn't hearing it.

"The only way I'm going to be happy is if I'm with you." He argues, and I stand up.

"Jason, I love Elijah. It is always going to be Elijah. I don't know how else to make that clear to you. Elijah and I love each other and we want to be together. We _will _be together in time and you're just going to have to accept that, or else you are going to be miserable and I don't want that. I care about you so much, but I'm always going to care about him more." I say, and Mona walks out before he can say anything else.

"I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?" She asks, and I shake my head.

"No, Mona. I think it's time for us to go now. We have a lot to do. Jason, I think Alison would like it if you went to the motel and stayed with her for a while." I tell him, and I walk down the steps.

Jason yells for me to wait but I just keep going. Mona struggles to keep up with my fast pace. About five minutes later I start to slow down. I know that Mona is dying to know what Jason and I were talking about, but she knows not to ask me right now. We walk until we get to the diner where Emily works. I tell Mona to order us something and hand her a wad of cash. I go to a back booth and pull out my phone. The first person I call is Lucy, who of course sends me straight to voice-mail.

"Hey, Luce. Still angry I see... Well, I hope you know that I have completely forgotten about the whole _handing me over to my enemies _thing. Not that you care. I know you're pissed and for good reason, but I need you. Not just me, but a lot of people. Remember that guy André I told you about? Well, he's at it again and there are a lot of lives at stake. I need your help, and if you don't want to help _me_, then maybe you'll help your sister. And no, I haven't kidnapped her or anything. She's helping me of her own free will. Please, just call me." I say, hanging up.

Mona approaches me with two lattes in her hands. She smiles and sits across from me.

"So, who was that?" She asks, and I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.

"That was my ex-friend Lucy. We had a bit of a falling out six months ago and she won't answer my calls, but I know she'll help us. Ariana is her little sister." I tell her, and she stares at me like she's trying to figure something out.

"I just don't get it. I mean, you have so many enemies and I've seen your dark side. The way you lashed out at that guy for talking smack about me, it gave me chills. But yet, there are other times when you are so good. Everything you're doing for Alison, the girls, Jason, and me... You are risking your life. So, what gives? What is the Katherine Pierce logic?" She asks, and I smirk at the words _Katherine Pierce logic_.

"It's complicated_. I'm _complicated. I can be pretty bad Mona. Actually, I can be downright evil with a capital _E_. I do awful, despicable, malicious, unforgivable things and I can be quite monstrous. But there are moments in my life when I choose to be a better person. People have this misplaced opinion that there is no good in me, sometimes I think they're right... But they're not. I _am_ capable of loving someone, and I care a lot more than people think. I may not show it often, but that's just because I don't do anything half way. When I don't care, I can be your greatest enemy. But when I love someone, I love them with all I've got. I would put my life on the line for them no questions asked. Luckily for you and the others, you all managed to find my good side." I tell her, and she gives me a big smile.

"Well, I am certainly thankful that we did. Honestly, I never imagined we'd become such good friends. I was pretty intimidated by you when we first met. I mean, you being a bad ass five-hundred year old vampire and all.

"Neither did I. If we're being honest, I thought I might have to kill you. I didn't believe that I could trust someone that works for Andre, but then I got to know you and I realized that we're a lot alike. You know better than anyone what it's like to be hated, to be looked down on and thought of as an uncaring psycho. You understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of misplaced judgment. Before you, I don't think anyone really got me. Other than Jason, who apparently knows everything there is to know about me." I say, and she seems happy with my confession.

"Well, it's mutual. I feel like I can tell you things that I can't tell other people, not even Hanna. Like the fact that... I sometimes scare myself. There's this darkness in me. A darkness that I try so hard to fight, but I feel like if I'm not careful, it'll break through. And I meant it when I said that I have forgiven Alison. I have completely forgiven her and I would do anything for her, but it was the years that she spent torturing me that brought on this darkness. And you have no idea how great it is to finally tell someone. I've been holding that in for a while." She admits, and I know how she feels.

"I totally get that. I mean, you should have known me before Elijah Mikaelson walked into my life. I was a completely different person and when it was all over, the girl I was didn't exist anymore. For so long I carried so much anger and hatred in my heart. But unlike you, I couldn't fight off the darkness. It consumed me, and sometimes I feel like if I make one wrong move I'm gonna lose my mind all over again. Elijah is the reason that the darkness found me, and only he could stop it. When I decided to forgive Elijah and let him in my life, that darkness slowly began to die out. I know how you feel about Alison, because Elijah is _my _Alison." I tell her, and the look in her eyes tells me that she gets it too.

"Thank you for this. I really needed to have this conversation. Really, Kat. Thank you _so_ much." She says, and I smile at her.

"Any time. Just remember that. You can always talk to me, Mona." I promise her, and she smiles back gratefully.

We arrive at Mona's house and she opens the door.

"Mom?! Dad?!" She yells, and they make their way over to the door.

"Mona, what are you doing out there? Come inside, darling. Um, who's your friend?" Mona's mom asks, and I smile politely.

"This is Katherine. She's new at school. She's the one I told you about." Mona introduces me, and her parents' eyes light up.

"Katherine, it is so great to meet you. You are even prettier than Mona said. I'm Trish Vanderwaal and this is my husband, Michael Vanderwaal." She says, smiling at me.

"It is so nice to finally meet the girl that so bravely stood up for our daughter to the whole school. You have really made things easier for our little girl. Thank you so much for that." Michael says, and I decide that I like these people.

"Well, Mona is a great friend. She has really made me feel welcome in this town. I am very grateful to know her." I tell them, and Mona laughs.

"Okay, I think that's enough of the mushy talk. Mom, Dad, can Katherine come in?" She asks, and they both nod.

"Of course, dear. Katherine, please come inside." Michael invites me in, and I cross the barrier.

Once we're inside I follow them to the livingroom. I can tell that Mrs. Vanderwaal takes great care of her home. The room is painted a beige color and the carpet is a vanilla color. The couches are white and look very expensive. There are orchids on small white tables in each corner of the room and there is a huge flat-screen tv on the wall. The fire place stands about five feet tall and is about six feet wide and there are tall white bookshelves on either side. I'll have to make a mental note to never eat salsa in here. We all take a seat and Mona speaks up.

"So, mom... dad... There's something that we want to talk to you about, and before you start saying _no_, just hear me out." She says cautiously.

"Mona, what's this all about?" Trish asks, and I wait to see what Mona comes up with.

"Things have been really tough since I got out of Radley, not just for me, but for you too. I know it's hard and that's why I want you guys to get away for a while. Katherine has houses in just about every place in the world. You can both stay there for as long as you want. It will be a completely free vacation." Mona tries, but they seem hesitant.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Leaving you alone just isn't very good parenting." Michael complains, and Mona rolls her eyes.

"Are you kidding me? You guys are like super parents. All the crap you put up with, all the patience you've had with me... Please, just let me repay you. I know you want to say yes. It's not like I'll be alone. Katherine can move in while you're gone. I think she's proved she can look out for me." She says, and I can see them considering her words.

"Look, Mr. and Mrs. Vanderwaal, your daughter has told me how much she appreciates you both. She just wants to give you a break. Let you have a few months of freedom. Isn't there something you've always wanted to do? Somewhere you've always wanted to go? I have more than enough money and connections to make whatever you want happen." I tell them, hoping it won't sound too good to be true.

"I have always wanted to vacation in Hawaii. Sit on a sunny beach, sipping some fruity drink, wearing one of those ridiculous coconut bras, then swimming in the ocean... Honey, I think we should consider this." Trish says excitedly, and her husband smiles at her.

"You could make all that happen, Katherine?" Michael asks, and I don't think I'll need to compel them after all.

"Yes, sir. I can have a friend on the phone making all the arrangements in five minutes. I can have you on your way to Hawaii in no time flat." I promise him, and I know their minds are made up.

An hour later we're helping them pack. I have seven missed calls from Jason, and three from Elijah. I know I should probably call them back, but I don't feel like dealing with their intense questions about my feelings. That's why I decided to hang out with Mona rather than go back to the motel. It looks like we're done here, though. My friend Thomas booked their seats on a flight out to Hawaii tomorrow morning. He'll stay in the same hotel as them and help them with whatever they need. He has all of the information to my bank accounts, so they will be very well taken care of.

"Okay, I think that's everything. Um, I'm gonna hang with my parents for a little while. You know, say our goodbyes and all that. How about I meet you all at the motel later?" Mona asks, and I nod.

"Sure. I have something I need to do anyway. I'll see you later." I tell her, grabbing my jacket.

"Thanks again! For everything..." She says, and I stop to look at her.

"Like I said, anytime." I say, and she surprises me with a hug.

I don't hug her back for a moment, but I find my arms slowly wrapping around her. It's odd... I'm not normally affectionate with anyone other than Alison, Jason, and Elijah. But Mona's different than most people I have met. We pull apart and I leave with a quick wave to her. I walk back to the motel thinking about all the friends I've had in my five-hundred and twenty-something years of life. Some I left behind, some left me behind, some betrayed me, some I betrayed, and some died. No one ever really stays in my life... But Alison, Jason, and Elijah are some of the very few that I will fight to keep. Hell, I'm starting to think that maybe Mona's a keeper too.

I approach my room and I hear Ariana and Alison laughing inside. I know it's not polite, but I decide to eavesdrop. They aren't really saying much at first, just laughing at some inside joke, but after a minute it starts to get interesting.

_"Alison, there's something that I need to talk to you about."_

_"Whoa, sounds serious. What's up?"_

_"Katherine is worried about you. Alison... Have you been feeling different lately?"_

_"What do you mean? Different how? I feel fine."_

_"Kat told me about how you changed when you killed CeCe. What she described, it sounds like dark magic."_

_"Well, duh. It's Expression. It is dark magic."_

_"Yeah, but there's a line. You are either in control or you aren't. Right now, I think you're straddling that line."_

_"Ariana, I assure you I am perfectly capable of controlling myself. Look, I know Kat's worried, but she really doesn't need to be. Besides, I have you now. You're... great."_

_"Well, thank you. You're pretty amazing yourself..."_

I decide now is a good time to walk in. Alison and Ariana are sitting in the floor, side by side. There's something odd going on with them. They seem... close. Like, closer than they should be. They both smile at me, and I can see the light shade of pink on Ariana's cheeks. Ariana has always been openly lesbian, since she was twelve years old. Alison on the other hand, has always been boy crazy. I eye them suspiciously for a moment, hanging my jacket up in the closet. I don't know what's going on with these two, but right now I have more important things to worry about. Right now, my number one priority is finding Aria and Emily.

**A/N: Really sorry if this seems rushed, but I don't have much free time and I tried to get this chapter done quickly. I am also sorry for any grammatical errors. Anyway, reviews would be very appreciated. (:**

**In the next chapter of _Love, Lies, and Games_, the search for Aria and Emily begins. Katherine avoids Elijah and Jason, who insist she is being less than honest with herself. One beloved character may not make it, and Rosewood's newest arrival has Katherine worried. Jason and Elijah's bickering is also not doing much to help the gang as new dangers are lurking at every corner.**


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